BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven baseball team erased three deficits in game one to set the tone for a doubleheader sweep of visiting Stonehill on Sunday at Frank Vieira Field. The Chargers (10-4) took the first game, 12-10, and won the nightcap by a 4-1 count to complete the sweep.
 
New Haven, which also swept Northeast-10 foe Bentley yesterday in cross-division action, is now 5-0 at home this spring. Stonehill fell to 12-8 with the pair of losses.
 
Designated hitter Chris DeMorais (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) and centerfielder Brendan O’Reilly each had four hits and scored three runs in the twin bill. DeMorais also picked up four RBI on the day and stole two bases. Joe Romanelli (Baldwin, N.Y./Holy Trinity) caught the first game and went 3-for-5 with four RBI, including the game-winning single.
 
Third baseman Brendon Buckley (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) also had two RBI, while O’Reilly and right fielder Stephen Clout (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) drove in one run apiece.
 
The wins on the mound went to right-hander Taylor Candage (Portland, Maine/Deering) out of the bullpen in game one and southpaw Pat Simone (Branford, Conn./Branford) in the nightcap. Simone ceded just one unearned run in eight innings, scattering five singles without a walk while striking out four Skyhawks. Peter Jay (Shelton, Conn./Shelton) and Jason Lewicki (Milford, Conn./Foran) each threw a perfect ninth and each notched a save in the twin bill.
 
Game 1
A pair of two-out hits got New Haven on the board in the top of the first inning, as O’Reilly roped a two-bagger to left field and came home on a DeMorais single.
 
Stonehill followed with the first of three three-run innings for the visitors in the opener. Christian Baglini, Chris Hoyt and James DeAlto each hit an RBI single in the frame.

The 3-1 margin held into the bottom of the third inning via another two-out rally. O’Reilly and DeMorais hit back-to-back singles to start the scoring threat. After DeMorais stole second base, a wild pitch scored O’Reilly. Romanelli followed with an RBI single to knot the game at 3-3.
 
The Chargers reclaimed the lead the following inning with an unearned run. Shortstop Nick Nunziato (Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) hit a one-out single and moved himself into scoring position with a stolen base. Left fielder Kyle Cullen (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) then lofted a fly ball to centerfield. DeAlto made the catch and attempted to nab Nunziato tagging up, but his errant throw to the cut-off man instead allowed the Chargers’ rookie to come all the way around the score the go-ahead run.
 
After an RBI triple from Baglini tied the game in the top of the sixth, Stonehill hung a three on the board in the seventh frame to take the lead. A two-run double by Michael Zeiner and an RBI groundout by Anthony Pagano accounted for the scoring as the visitors took a 7-4 advantage.
 
New Haven responded in its half of the seventh inning. After Clout walked and Buckley singled, O’Reilly laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners 90 feet closer to scoring. DeMorais followed with a double to plate both runners, and Romanelli stroked his second game-tying hit of the contest.
 
The Skyhawks regained a 10-7 lead in the eighth inning via a Dan Fratus RBI hit and another two-run two-bagger by Zeiner, but the Chargers would put the game away with one final rally in the bottom of the stanza.
 
One-out singles from Nunziato and Cullen and a Clout hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, and Buckley slapped a double to right field to cut the deficit to 10-9.  O’Reilly’s single to centerfield knocked home the tying run. O”Reilly took second on a wild pitch and, two batters later, Romanelli delivered again with a two-run single to give the Chargers a 12-10 cushion that they would not relinquish.
 
Jay earned his sixth save of the spring with a perfect ninth.
 
Right-hander Frank Vilacha (Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) started the game for New Haven and allowed four earned runs on nine hits in six innings of work. Vilacha struck out five batters and walked one. Connor Moriarty (Branford, Conn./Branford), Brian Caselli (Stratford, Conn./Stratford) and Candage (2-0) bridged the gap to the Chargers’ closer.
 
Mike Krupczak (1-1) took the loss out of the Stonehill bullpen, allowed four earned runs on three hits in one inning of work. Zach Soulier started the contest for the visitors, surrendering three earned runs on nine hits in six innings.
 
Game 2
Despite being no-hit into the fifth inning, New Haven struck first in the nightcap as well. The Chargers scored two runs without the benefit of a base-hit in the bottom of the fourth inning, as a walk, a hit batter, a wild pitch and three Skyhawks’ errors allowed the Blue and Gold to grab a 2-0 lead.
 
New Haven struck again in the fifth. The first collegiate hit for catcher TJ Riccio (Port Jeff Station, N.Y./Comsewogue) started the offense with one out was replaced by Cullen on a fielder’s choice. Clout then singled to centerfield, and Cullen caught the Stonehill outfield by surprise and came all the way around to score as they leisurely returned the bloop hit to the infield.
 
The Skyhawks broke up Simone’s shutout as an unearned run crossed the plate in the top of the eighth, but the Chargers responded with a RBI single in the bottom of the frame to rebuild the 4-1 margin that proved to be final.
 
Following Simone’s eight innings of five-hit ball, Lewicki hurled a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his first save.
 
The Chargers begin NE-10 Southwest Division play this week, traveling to Pace for a single game on Wednesday before a three-game series at American International this weekend. Action returns to Frank Vieira Field on Monday, April 1 with a visit from non-conference opponent Dominican. The following day, New Haven hosts crosstown and divisional rival Southern Connecticut State.