BOX SCORE NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The University of New Haven baseball team suffered a 5-6 loss to Southern Connecticut State University Tuesday afternoon at the Ballpark at SCSU. The Chargers rallied in the top of the ninth inning and tied the score at 5-5, but the Owls answered in the bottom of the inning with a walk-off walk. The Chargers fell to 15-14-1 overall and 3-6-1 in the Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division. The Owls improved to 24-11 overall and 6-3 in divisional play.

The Chargers wasted no time taking the lead on Tuesday with two runs in the top of the first inning. Brendon Buckley (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) hit a one-out sacrifice fly to center field and drove in Cory Carr (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) to give the Chargers a 1-0 lead. Ryan Brockett (Guilford, Conn./Guilford ) scored the Chargers' second run of the game when he advanced home on a balk.

With a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth, New Haven's Brendan O'Reilly tapped a two-out single to right center and drove in David Wirkus (Orange, Conn./Fairfield Prep / St. Anselm College) from second base. The stellar starting pitching by Pat Simone (Branford, Conn./Branford) continued into the fourth inning as the Owls remained hitless.

Southern Connecticut State rallied with a two-out walk and double in the bottom of the fifth inning to score its first run of the game and cut UNH's lead to 3-1. The Owls took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with three hits and two walks, producing four runs and a 5-3 SCSU lead.

New Haven managed just one base runner in the seventh and eighth innings, and came to the plate in the ninth trailing 3-5. SCSU closer A.J. Turnier took the mound in the bottom of the ninth, boasting a perfect 0.00 ERA and seven saves this season. With one out, Wirkus hammered a single to right center. O'Reilly then walked to put the tying run on first base. Stephen clout (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) stepped to the plate and struck out, but the Chargers advanced the runners to scoring position with a double steal. A game-tying double down the right field line followed and the Chargers evened the score at 5-5.

New Haven posted back-to-back fly-outs to open the ninth, but the Owls rallied with two outs. Two hits and two walks drove in the game-winning run for SCSU and gave the Owls a 6-5 victory.

Carr led the UNH bats with two htis, two RBI and one run. Brockett and Wirkus both added two hits and one run. O'Reilly went 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run as well.

Simone went five 2/3 inning with seven strikeouts and four hits. Henry Hirsch (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale) went two 1/3 innings in relief and Taylor Candage (Portland, Maine/Deering) suffered the loss in 2/3 innings pitched. 

New Haven will return to action tomorrow, Wednesday, April 18 when it hosts Dominican College in a non-conference game at Frank Vieira Field. Game time is set for 3 p.m. For complete coverage, stay posted to www.NewHavenChargers.com.