BOX SCORE Box Score

LANTANA, Fla. - The University of New Haven baseball team dropped a non-conference game to Caldwell College 8-2 Friday afternoon in Florida. The Chargers fell to 8-4 with the loss, while the Cougars improved to 4-8. UNH plays one more game in Florida tomorrow before heading home from its spring break trip.

The scoring in Friday's game opened in the second inning as both teams put one run on the board. The Cougars were first to strike in the top of the inning with one run off one hit and one error. The Chargers scored one off two hits and a walk in the bottom of the inning. UNH also left two runners on base in the second.

Both teams retired the side in the third inning as they went into the fourth tied at 1-1. Caldwell then exploded with five runs off three hits and one error in the top of the fourth to take a 6-1 lead.

UNH could not respond in the closing innings as they managed six base runners in the next four innings. The Cougars recorded no additional runs through the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth inning, but scored two more in the final inning. New Haven tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth with two hits and one run, but the final out was recorded with the Chargers trailing 8-2.

The Chargers bats managed 10 hits in 36 at-bats Friday. Stephen Clout led the way with three hits and one RBI in four at-bats. Tom Rombilus recorded two hits and one run, while David Wirkus tallied two hits in four at-bats.

On the mound, Alex Smith suffered his first loss of the season in six innings. He struck out five and gave up four earned runs. Brendon Buckley and Henry Hirsch threw the final three innings in relief and recorded two strikeouts and two earned runs.

The Chargers return to action tomorrow afternoon at 12:30 p.m. against Merrimack College. The game will be played at the Santaluces Sports Complex in Lantana, Fla.