Hartford Hawks, Eastern Connecticut State Finish Bizarre 12-12 Tie

This piece recaps a wild in-state college baseball clash between the Hartford Hawks and Eastern Connecticut State University. The game ended in a 12-12 tie after umpires walked off before the ninth inning, blaming visibility concerns.

It featured a furious Hartford rally, standout hitting from Alek Popovich and Alyis Godbee, and a late push that forced a dramatic draw. The Connecticut crowd definitely got their fill of local sports drama on this one.

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What happened on the field

Eastern jumped out fast, scoring four runs with two outs in the first inning. They added two more in the second, stretching the lead to 6-2.

Hartford responded in the bottom of the first. Alek Popovich drove in two RBIs, and Jayden Gaither added a scoring hit to trim the gap to 4-2.

Popovich just kept going. He finished 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, piling on more runs in the third.

The Hawks chipped away, collecting 19 hits and three extra-base knocks as the game wore on. They never really let Eastern get comfortable.

Hartford’s momentum peaked with a seventh-inning rally. Nico DiGioia knocked in a run in the sixth, and John Russell’s sacrifice fly in the seventh cut it to 12-7.

In the bottom of the seventh, Alyis Godbee smashed a two-run double to bring Hartford within two. The game tied at 12-12 when the umpires, worried about the fading light, simply walked off before the ninth.

Hartford cycled through several relievers. Freshman Mike DeRose started but ran into trouble early, and a committee finished out the eighth and held on for the tie.

Godbee finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs. DiGioia went 2-for-6 with two RBIs for Hartford.

Key moments that shaped the game

Eastern Connecticut State exploded for four runs in the first, grabbing control early.
Alek Popovich powered Hartford with four hits, a double, and three RBIs.
Hartford kept chipping away, especially with DiGioia’s RBI in the sixth and Russell’s sac fly in the seventh.
Alyis Godbee’s two-run double in the seventh finally tied things up as the night closed in.
The umpires’ abrupt exit before the ninth forced both teams to settle for a tie—who knows what could’ve happened?

Player highlights

Alek Popovich—4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs. He really drove Hartford’s offense all night.
Alyis Godbee—3-for-4 with three RBIs, including that clutch two-run double in the seventh.
Nico DiGioia—2-for-6 with two RBIs, helping fuel Hartford’s late comeback.
John Russell—delivered a big sacrifice fly in the seventh to spark the push.
Pitching—Hartford relied on a mix of relievers after DeRose. Michael Greco closed the eighth as the bullpen tried to hang on.

The Hawks now look ahead to conference play. They’ve got a doubleheader Saturday against Roger Williams University, and honestly, they’ll need to shake off the tie and get back to the grind.

What this means for Hartford and the rest of Connecticut

This game just proved, again, that Connecticut college baseball is unpredictable and fiercely competitive. Hartford showed real resilience, while Eastern flexed some early muscle.

The Hawks face a late-season push as they chase more wins against in-state rivals. Next up: a key doubleheader against Roger Williams University. Fans from Hartford to Willimantic are buzzing about what’s next—could this tie kickstart a run, or will it sting for a while? Hard to say, but the season’s about to get even more interesting.

Connecticut towns touched by this story

Hartford
Willimantic
New Haven
Bridgeport
Stamford
Waterbury
Norwalk
Middletown
Danbury

This game really sticks in the minds of Connecticut baseball fans. One wild inning can turn everything upside down, right?

The depth of a team sometimes just shows up out of nowhere, especially when the pressure’s on late. Local college sports here keep finding ways to surprise us, all across the Constitution State.

Here is the source article for this story: Hawks and (RCV) Eastern Connecticut State University Tie in Bizarre Fashion 12-12

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