U of Hartford Bests Quinnipiac in Dunkin’ Donuts Park Christening

By Bob Phillips

The Quinnipiac Bobcats line up for the National Anthem before the first
pitch in the first-ever game played at Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford.
                                                                    (Courtesy QuinnipiacBobcats.com)

HARTFORD – The University of Hartford scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Quinnipiac, 6-4, before 2,910 fans in the first game ever played in brand spanking new Dunkin’ Donuts Park on Tuesday night.

It was a “soft opening” at The Dunk—essentially a dress rehearsal before Opening Day for the Hartford Yard Goats, the ballpark’s primary tenants, on Thursday. The Goats, the AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, will play the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Toronto Blue Jays AA affiliate, in their first-ever real home game after spending the entire 2016 season playing on the road because of construction delays at DD Park.

"It looks like a small major league park," said West Hartford native Tom O'Brien, a University of Hartford alumnus who attended the game after failing to land tickets for Thursday’s official opener between the Yard Goats and the New Hampshire Fischer Cats. However, O’Brien may be in luck after all. The Goats announced today that even though the opener is sold out, a limited number of standing room tickets will be available for $8. Those seats went on sale at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

Lights Out

The big story last night occurred in the eighth inning, when the lights went out at The Dunk, showing the wisdom of “soft opening” strategy. According to NBC Connecticut, the ballpark’s lighting system had a default setting that shut the lights off at 10 p.m. … a minor detail somehow overlooked.

Ooops

As for the game itself, the Bobcats dug themselves an early hole which they ultimately found themselves unable to dig out of. Actually, Quinnipiac scored the first run in the history of The Dunk in the top of the first on a two-out balk by Hartford starter Alex Moconyi (4.0 IP, 1ER, 2 W, 4 SO). But the Hawks came roaring back in the bottom of the inning as Quinnipiac starter Alex Vargas struggled out of the gate. The Freeport, NY, native walked five of the seven batters he faced before being replaced by Brandon Shileikis after retiring just one batter with one out in the first. Shileikis, a North Dighton, Mass., native, pitched out of a bases loaded jam, but the Hawks took a 3-1 lead. The Bobcats knotted the score with runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Hawks reclaimed the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth.

Quinnipiac tied the game again with a run in the top of the seventh, making it 4-4, but Hartford responded with two in the bottom of the frame and held serve throughout the rest of the contest to earn a 6-4 victory.

With the win, the Hawks improve to 9-16, while the Bobcats fall to 10-19. Team and city officials now have about 24 hours to work out any final kinks in the stadium as the Yard Goats are set to play their home opener—their real home opener after spending the entire 2016 season on the road—on Thursday. First pitch is slated at 7:05 p.m., and will be broadcast on WPOP 1410 AM. All Yard Goats’ games will be available on the TuneIn app.

                                                                                                                                                 —with staff reports