BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 Box Score (Game One)
Box Score (Game Two)

WEST HAVEN, Conn. - The University of New Haven baseball team defeated Southern New Hampshire University 10-1 and 8-3 Saturday afternoon in two games at Frank Vieira Field. The Chargers improve to 21-7 overall and 9-5 in the Northeast-10 Conference, while the Penmen fall to 11-16 overall and 4-6 in the NE-10.

Game One
Senior pitcher Chris Smith (Shelton, Conn./Emmett O'Brien Tech.) led the Chargers with outstanding pitching performance. The Shelton, Conn. native started and pitched seven complete innings, earning his fourth win of the season. He amassed six strikeouts and allowed just one run. He faced 29 batters and allowed five hits.

After two scoreless innings, the Chargers would open scoring in the bottom of the third inning with three runs. Two walks and a single to right field loaded the bases for Cory Carr (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial). SNHU's pitcher then attempted a pickoff at first base, but the ball got away and sailed into right field. All three runners advanced two bases and the Chargers went up 2-0. Carr then struck swinging and Tom Ballaro (Shelton, Conn./Shelton) stepped to the plate with Ryan Brockett (Guilford, Conn./Guilford ) on third. A Ballaro single to left field gave the Chargers a 3-0 lead.

Smith managed to get out of the fourth inning with two Penmen stranded on base and no runs. Freshman Joe Romanelli (Baldwin, N.Y./Holy Trinity) drove in a run in the bottom of the fourth inning to give UNH a 4-0 lead. After once again holding the Penmen scoreless in the top of the fifth inning, the Chargers took a commanding 8-0 lead with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Jordan Kershaw (Seymour, Conn./Seymour) drove in a pair of runs with a triple to center field halfway through the inning.

Southern New Hampshire managed one hit in the sixth inning, while the Chargers took a 9-0 lead with a Ballaro RBI in the bottom half of the inning. Southern New Hampshire's one run came in the top of the seventh inning, but Smith also stranded SNHU runners on base in the inning.

Freshman Taylor Candage (Portland, Maine/Deering) drove in the Chargers final run in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving the Chargers a 10-1 lead. The Penmen managed just one hit in the top of the ninth as the Chargers earned their 20th win of the season.

Kershaw led the Chargers with two hits, two RBI's and two runs. Ballaro went 1-for-4 with two RBI's and one run, while Romanelli added one hit, one run and one RBI. Brockett went 1-for-2 with three runs scored.

Game Two
The Chargers wasted no time taking the lead in the nightcap as well. After Brockett tripled in the second spot, Shane O'Connell hit a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Chargers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Chargers maintained a 1-0 lead for all of the first three innings as the Chargers retired the side in the next two innings.

The Penmen got on the scoreboard for the first time in the top of the fourth inning. After a walk opened the inning, the Penmen singled up the middle and put runners on first and second with no outs. A ground out-RBI later in the inning tied the score at 1-1. In the bottom of the fourth the Chargers had three batters and three outs, while the Penmen followed suit in the top of the fifth.

The Chargers made their mark and earned the win in the bottom of the fifth inning with five runs on four hits and three SNHU errors. The Chargers also left three runners on base in the fifth inning.

UNH added two in the bottom of the seventh, while the only other runs came in the top of the ninth inning for the Penmen. SNHU loaded the bases in the inning and put the tying run on-deck, but UNH left-reliever Kyle Befus (Northford, Conn./North Branford) stepped to the mound and finished off the game for the Chargers.

Brockett led the Charger bats with four hits, two runs and two RBI's in four at-bats. Kershaw went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Tom Rombilus (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) and David Wirkus (Orange, Conn./Fairfield Prep / St. Anselm College) both recorded a hit, a RBI and a run.

Alex Smith (Manchester, Conn./Manchester) earned the win and pitched six full innings for the Chargers. The junior registered four strikeouts and allowed one run.

The Chargers return to action Sunday, April 11 when they travel to cross town rival Southern Connecticut State University. Game time is set for 12 p.m. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled as a Northeast-10 Conference game, while the nightcap is a non-conference game.