BOX SCORE Box Score

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The 2010 University of New Haven baseball season concluded Friday afternoon with a 4-1 loss to Southern Connecticut State University in the NCAA Division II East Region Baseball Championship tournament. The Chargers gave up four runs in the second inning to the the Owls and that was all that was needed.

Neither team scored in the first inning, but the Owls scored their four runs in the bottom of the second inning and took control right out of the gates. With one out, Southern put back-to-back-to-back runners on base with a three consecutive walks. SCSU then hit a looping since to right field, which drove in a pair of runs. The Owls third run scored on a throwing error, while the fourth crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly later in the inning.

Jordan Kershaw (Seymour, Conn./Seymour) opened the UNH half of the third inning with a double to right field, while Tom Rombilus (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) drove in the Chargers' only run two batters later. Before the bottom of the third, senior Chris Smith (Shelton, Conn./Emmett O'Brien Tech.) stepped onto the mound for the Chargers. The hurler would pitch the remainder of the game and concluded his collegiate career with a six-inning shutout performance.

The Charger bats, which have struggled the last couple weeks of the season, managed just four hit through the final innings, while the UNH pitching and defense held the Owls to just one hit. Kershaw hit a single to center field in the fifth inning with one out, while Shane O'Connell connected on a single to center field in the top of the eighth inning.

Kershaw and Kyle Pettoruto (Andover, Mass./St. John's Prep ) led the Chargers with two hits each. Rombilus and O'Connell each added one hit, while Kweshaw scored the Chargers only run.

Alex Smith (Manchester, Conn./Manchester) suffered the loss in two innings. The junior allowed two earned runs and just one hit.

The Chargers conclude their 2010 season with their first NCAA appearance since 2006 and just their second 30-win season since 1995. Their final record of 31-15 is the best since 2006 as well.