BOX SCORE WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven baseball team scored three runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back on its way to 4-1 Northeast-10 Southwest Division contest over crosstown rival Southern Connecticut State on Wednesday afternoon at Frank Vieira Field. Chris DeMorais (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the victory.
 
With their fourth consecutive victory, the Chargers improve to 12-8 overall and 7-6 in the NE-10. Southern Connecticut State drops to 14-11-1 with a 9-6 conference mark. The Owls acted as the home team this afternoon, as the game was originally set to be played at the Ballpark at SCSU but was moved to Frank Vieira Field due to unplayable field conditions.
 
DeMorais' offensive performance marks his third three-hit game this spring. Zach Collett (Westbrook, Maine/Westbrook) and TJ Riccio (Port Jeff Station, N.Y./Comsewogue) also added RBI for the Chargers, with Collett posting a 2-for-4 day at the dish.
 
On the mound, right-hander Derek Drag (Meriden, Conn./O.H. Platt / Central Conn. St.) hurled seven shutout innings en route to earning the win. Drag (2-1) scattered six hits and one walk while striking out four. Frank Vilacha (Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) notched the final six outs of the day to complete the 4-1 win.
 
SCSU starter Rocco Cundari took the loss to fall to 3-2. The right-hander allowed four runs (two earned) in seven innings of work. He surrendered five hits and issued three walks while compiling five strikeouts.
 
Tom Walraven (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) led off the game with a walk and took second on an Andrew Johnson (Branford, Conn./Branford / Wheaton) groundout. After Brendan O'Reilly reached safely on an error, DeMorais cashed on the RBI opportunity with a single on the first pitch he saw from Cundari. Brendon Buckley (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) followed with a walk to load the bases, and all three baserunners moved 90 feet on an RBI single for Collett. The Chargers' third run came home on a Riccio sacrifice fly stake New Haven to a 3-0 advantage after the top of the first inning.
 
The Blue and Gold added an insurance run in the fourth inning. O'Reilly started the offense with a walk followed by back-to-back singles from DeMorais and Buckley to load the bases. The Owls opted to turn the double play on a Collett groundball rather than attempt to the cut down O'Reilly, who raced home to extend the Chargers' lead to 4-0.
 
Southern Connecticut State got on the board with a T.J. Shea sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Vilacha got out of the jam with minimal damage and then stranded two baserunners in the bottom of the ninth frame to shut the door on the 4-1 triumph.
 
Today's game was the beginning of a seven-game homestand for the Chargers and a stretch of 11 consecutive NE-10 Southwest Division contests. Action resumes at Frank Vieira Field on Saturday, April 19 with a noon doubleheader against American International.
 
New Haven and Southern Connecticut will play the rubber match of their three-game divisional series on Tuesday, April 29 at the Ballpark at SCSU.