BOX SCORE BOX SCORE

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven baseball team dropped its Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division opener 4-2 to Pace University Thursday afternoon. With the loss, New Haven falls to 11-6 overall and 0-1 in the NE-10 SWD. The Setters improved to 10-10 overall and 1-0 in divisional play.

The teams opened the first two innings scoreless at Frank Vieira Field Thursday. The Chargers had an opportunity with bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the first inning, but a strikeout and double play left the game tied at 0-0. The Chargers opened scoring in the bottom of the third inning. Stephen Clout (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) hit a one-out single to left field and stole second base. Ryan Brockett (Guilford, Conn./Guilford ) advanced Clout to third off a single and the senior eventually scored off a passed ball by the Pace catcher.

The Chargers held on to a 1-0 lead until the top of the fifth inning when the Setters exploded with four runs off three hits. UNH tried to answer with two runners on base in the bottom of the inning, but ended trailing 4-1. New Haven scored one more run in the sixth inning, after Brendon Buckley (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) opened the inning with a lead-off triple to right center. Andrew Johnson (Branford, Conn./Branford / Wheaton) tabbed an infield single and drove in the Chargers’ second run.

The Chargers pitching and defense held Pace in check for the remainder of the game, while the bats stranded four runners on base in the final three innings. In the bottom of the ninth, Joe Romanelli (Baldwin, N.Y./Holy Trinity) hit a two-out single and Clout walked to put the game-tying run on first base with two outs. After a Pace pitching change, the Chargers could not advance the runners and suffered their sixth loss of the season.

Clout led the Chargers at the plate, going 2-for-2 with one run and three walks. Johnson drove in the Chargers’ only run. On the mound, Mike Aquilino (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) suffered his first loss of the season in five innings. Frank Vilacha (Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) and Eric Peck (East Hampton, Conn./East Hampton) combined for three shutout innings to close out the game.

New Haven returns to action on Saturday, March 31 when it hosts American International College in a Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division matchup at Frank Vieira Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. For complete coverage, stay posted to www.NewHavenChargers.com.