WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Yale baseball team scored 27 runs and hammered 31 hits in a doubleheader sweep at the University of Hartford on Saturday, routing the Hawks by scores of 10-0 and 17-5. Meanwhile, junior left-hander Brook Hart allowed just two hits in a complete game shutout, while fellow junior southpaw Vinny Lally surrendered just two earned in the second game. Juniors Trey Rallis and Andrew Moore each had five hits in the twinbill, while Rallis, junior Andy Megee, sophomore Zach Tobolowsky and sophomore Ryan Brenner each homered on the day.

With the doubleheader sweep, Yale takes three of four at Fiondella Field in West Hartford to improve to 9-4-1. Hartford drops to 3-6.

Nine players had two or more RBI for Yale, led by four driven in by both Megee and Tobolowsky. Rallis, senior Trygg Larsson-Danforth and sophomore Matt Schmidt each knocked in three runs, while Brenner, Moore, sophomore Gant Elmore and junior Andrew Kolmar each drove in a pair. Sophomore Charlie Neil rounded out the offensive output with an RBI single. As a team, the Bulldogs had 12 extra base hits and stole three bases.

Hart (2-0) was nearly unhittable in the first game, allowing just a single in the first inning and a double in the second. The southpaw struck out eight Hawks and walked none in the seven-inning complete game and retired the final 12 batters he faced.

“Brook was outstanding,” said Mazzuto Family Head Coach John Stuper. “He got ahead of batters and threw strikes with his breaking pitches as well as his fastball. He really set a tone for the day.”

After Hart struck out the side in the first inning, the Bulldogs started the scoring in the second as Moore beat out an infield hit to lead off the frame. Tobolowsky then followed with his second two-run home run of the series to put Yale on top, 2-0.

Yale would post another three runs in the next inning, as Rallis led off with his second double of the game. He then moved to third on a base-hit by Brenner and came home as Tobolowsky singled him in for his third RBI of the day. The next batter was Kolmar, who smacked a two-bagger over the centerfielder's head to clear the bases and put the Bulldogs on top, 5-0.

With Hart keeping the Hawks' bats at bay, Yale extended its lead with another five-run burst in the fourth. After Megee legged out an infield single, Rallis went yard for the third time this season to run the score to 7-0. After Larsson-Danforth and Brenner drew walks, Tobolowsky came through again with a single that scored Yale's big first baseman. Kolmar would then walk to load the bases, and Schmidt followed with a base-on-balls to bring in a run. A hard-hit groundball off the bat of Elmore then resulted in an RBI infield single, running the Yale advantage to the eventual final of 10-0.

Right-hander Cory Beahm (0-2) pitched the first 2.2 innings for the Hawks, allowing eight hits and five earned runs in the loss.

Yale got out to an early lead by way of the long ball once again in the nightcap of the afternoon twinbill. After an Elmore single started the game, Megee sent his fourth home run of the season over the 400' sign in centerfield to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead. After Rallis was hit by a pitch, Larsson-Danforth added to the lead with an RBI double that scraped the top of the wall in right centerfield.

Lally kept the Hawks hitless over the first two frames, and the Elis added some extra run support in the top of the third. Rallis singled to lead off the inning and, two batters later, Brenner deposited a home run over the wall in left field for his second home run of the year to give the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead.

Hartford tacked on a trio of unearned runs in its half of the third inning, as an error extended the frame, at which point four walks and the Hawks' first base-hit of the day cut the Yale lead to two runs at 5-3.

The Bulldogs took those runs back and a lot more in their next at-bat, posting eight tallies on the scoreboard to gain a commanding 13-3 advantage. Larsson-Danforth, Schmidt and Megee each had two RBI in the inning, which saw Yale send 14 men to the plate. Rallis and Moore both ripped RBI doubles in the frame as well.

After the Hawks cut the lead to nine runs at 13-5 with two in the bottom of the fourth, Yale responded with three in the top of the fifth inning to reclaim a double-digit lead at 16-5. Moore started things off with a one-out single and moved to second when Tobolowsky was hit by a pitch. Neil then singled to drive Moore home, and Tobolowsky soon followed on a wild pitch. The third run of the frame came on a deep drive to the gap off the bat of Elmore. Andy Drexel tracked down the potential extra-base hit, but Neil tagged up and scored easily from third base.

After Lally set down the Hawks in order to end his day, Moore slapped his third hit- and second double- of the day to drive in Rallis with the Bulldogs' 17th and final run of the contest.

Senior right-hander Joe Castaldi toss two hitless innings of relief to end the contest with Yale taking a 17-5 victory. The captain of the Bulldogs issued one walk and had one strikeout.

Lally (3-0) allowed just two earned runs and three hits in five innings to earn the win but issued eight walks in his 108-pitch outing.

“Vinny struggled with his control, and that's something we need to fix before Ivy play,” said Stuper. “But he battled like he always does and our hitters picked him up.”

The Bulldogs will be back in action on Wednesday, traveling to Storrs, Conn. for a 3 p.m. tilt with the University of Connecticut. Opening day at Yale Field will be on Saturday, March 27, as Yale hosts the New York Institute of Technology for a noon twinbill.

report filed by Drew M. Kingsley, Yale Sports Publicity