Box Score

BUFFALO, NY - Hartwick led 24-13 with less than 10 minutes to play in the game, but two touchdowns from host Buffalo State, including one with only 33 seconds left, secured a 27-24 victory for the Bengals on Saturday at Coyer Field.
           
Up 24-19 with 2:56 remaining in the game, the Hawks had the ball but a critical fumble gave it back to the hosts with 1:41 to go. Five plays later, Buff State quarterback Ryan Lehotsky found wide receiver Rich Pete for a 16-yard touchdown for the go-ahead score. On the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, Lehotsky connected with Zachary Best to extend the lead to three, 27-24.
           
Hartwick got the ball back with one final chance to regain the lead but never were able to get past its own 20 yard-line.
           
With the loss, Hartwick falls to 3-5 overall and 0-5 in the Empire 8 Conference. Buffalo State ups its record to 5-4 and 3-3.
           
Sophomore quarterback Andrew Bashford (East Rockaway, NY/E. Rockaway HS), who was making his first collegiate start, finished the game with 215 passing yards and one touchdown on 11 completions. Freshman running back Joseph Rosiecki (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central HS) rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns.
           
Frankie Molina (Middletown, NY/Middletown) made four catches for 65 yards to lead the Hartwick receiving corps. Tanner Williams (Eagle Bridge, NY/Hoosick Falls) made two catches for 85 yards.
           
The Hawks, who out-gained the Bengals 434 yards to 334 on the day and doubled them up in first downs, 24-12, opened the day's scoring in the first four minutes.
           
Hartwick did all the work on the ground on their opening possession as Rosiecki, Williams, and Bashford combined for 61 yards on six plays. Rosiecki broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run to put 'Wick in front. It was his third-longest run of the season. Alex Tesoriero (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia) added the PAT and Hartwick was up 7-0 with 11:01 left in the first quarter.
           
The Bengals came right back less than two minutes later to even the score. Lehotsky found Sherman Nelson for a 35-yard gain and the pair hooked up again on the very next play for a 16-yard touchdown pass.
           
Later, Hartwick turned the ball over on downs at the Buff State 43 but the 'Wick defense forced a Bengal punt on their next touch of the ball.
           
The Hawks began what would turn out to be an 100-yard touchdown drive with 3:44 left in the quarter, their longest of the season. With the ball just in front of their own goalline, Bashford ran for 20 yards to get it started. Rosiecki would cap the drive with a one-yard touchdown run and Tesoriero's extra point made the Hartwick edge seven points once again at 14-7.
           
After both teams punted a total of five times over the next nine minutes, the two teams combined for 16 points over the final three minutes of the half. The Hawks cashed in some additional points with 2:45 left.  Bashford completed a 22-yard pass to Molina and the two later kept the drive going on a 3^rd and 4 with a 7-yard gain. A Bashford to Chris Hoose (Leeds, NY/Cairo-Durham) 27-yard touchdown extended the lead to 20-7 and the PAT made it a 14-point game.
           
A 45-yard touchdown run from Pete got six points back for the Bengals with 1:16 to go in the half. Buff State's PAT, however, was missed.
           
Two runs from Bashford for a total of 12 yards and then two completions to Nick Knauer (Wynantskill, NY/Tamarac) for a total of 31 yards got Hartwick into Buff State territory. On a 4^th and 15, the Bengals were whistled for a roughing the passer penalty allowing Tesoriero to take a 37-yard field goal. He nailed it at the horn and 'Wick had a 24-13 edge at the half.
           
The Hartwick offense would finish the half registering points on four of their seven drives. The offensive efficiency would not continue in the second half as the Hawks punted twice, fumbled twice, and turned the ball over on downs twice inside the Buffalo State 25 yard-line.
           
After gaining a stop on the Bengals' first drive of the second half, the Hawks fumbled the punt return and Buff State was back in business on the Hartwick 18. The Hawks, however, held off the hosts forcing three straight incomplete passes and Nate Benoit's 33-yard field goal attempt was short keeping the margin at 11.
           
The Hawks took more than half of the third quarter up with one massive drive of 16 plays in an 8:44 span. 'Wick made it to the Bengal 25, but four straight incomplete passes turned the ball over.
           
Buffalo State pulled to within five points with 9:04 left in the game. Lehotsky hit wide receiver Ryan Carney for a 46-yard gain to set up a six-yard touchdown pass to John Beers. The Bengals went for two but couldn't convert and the score remained 24-19.
             
On the Hawks' ensuing possession, Williams hauled in a Bashford pass for 66 yards and 'Wick had a 1^st and goal from the Bengal 9. The play was the team's second-longest from scrimmage this season. The Hawks advanced to the 2 yard-line but Rosiecki was stuffed on a 4^th and 2 to once again give the Bengals life with 6:01 showing on the clock.
           
The Bengals drove to the Hartwick 29 with roughly three minutes to go, but a botched snap allowed Hartwick defensive back Clyde Miller (Rochester, NY/Glenville State College) to pounce on the ball and regain possession for 'Wick.
           
After three Hartwick offensive plays and a first down, Buffalo State called timeout with 1:45 remaining. On the next play, Rosiecki was hit in the backfield and fumbled the ball. It was recovered by Buffalo State's Scott Koen on their own 48.
           
Lehotsky completed a 13-yard pass to Zachary Best and Pete rushed for 15 more yards to get to the Hartwick 24. After an eight-yard gain, Pete hauled in the go-ahead touchdown with 33 ticks to play.
           
Defensively for Hartwick, Richie DiVirgilio and Justin Salvione (Johnstown, NY/Johnstown) each had six tackles. The duo also combined for 1.5 tackles for a loss. Jim DeRosa (Centereach, NY/Centereach) added five tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss and one sack.
           
Pete rushed for 94 yards and a score for Buff State. Lehotsky finished with 265 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-33 passing.
           
Hartwick returns to action next Saturday. 'Wick travels to Ithaca for another Empire 8 game beginning at 1 p.m.