BOX SCORE NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven baseball team won the rubber match of the annual divisional series with Southern Connecticut State, taking a 5-4 decision on a rainy Tuesday afternoon at the Ballpark at SCSU. With the win, the Chargers clinched a berth in the Northeast-10 postseason.
 
In addition to securing a return to the postseason, New Haven is now one win away from securing home field advantage for the NE-10 Championship First Round set for next Tuesday, May 6.
 
The Chargers improve to 20-10 overall – the program's ninth consecutive 20-win campaign – and 10-5 in the NE-10 Southwest Division. Southern Connecticut State (21-14-1) also stands at 10-5 in the division, though New Haven holds the head-to-head tiebreaker due to today's result.
 
Chris DeMorais (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) led the New Haven hitting corps at 3-for-3 with two runs batted in. Zach Collett (Westbrook, Maine/Westbrook) also drove in a pair, and Tom Walraven (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) roped an RBI double in addition to a stolen base. Eddie Tammaro (South Hempstead, N.Y./South Side) also doubled and scored a pair of runs.
 
Three Charger hurlers combined to keep the Owls at bay. Derek Drag (Meriden, Conn./O.H. Platt / Central Conn. St.) started and worked the first 3.1 innings. The win went to Vincent Aprea (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue), who improved to 3-0 after ceding one run on three hits and four walks in 4.1 frames of relief. Frank VIlacha (Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) earned the four-out save – his first of the spring.
 
The loss on the bump was charged to Owls' starter Pat Egan. The southpaw was charged with five earned runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out 10.
 
The Chargers started the scoring in the top of the first inning as the four batters reached safely. Walraven walked to lead off the game then Andrew Johnson (Branford, Conn./Branford / Wheaton) singled and Brendan O'Reilly hustled a sacrifice bunt attempt into a base hit to load the bags. DeMorais followed with an RBI single to put the Chargers on the board, and Collett lifted a sacrifice fly to plate another tally and stake the Blue and Gold to a 2-0 advantage.
 
The Owls cut the deficit in half with a run in the home portion of the first, and Egan and Drag traded zeroes in the second frame.
 
The Chargers struck again in the third on a DeMorais single followed by a Collett RBI double, but once again the hosts answered in the home half as New Haven maintained a one-run lead at 3-2. Both teams again posted a single run in the fourth, with the Chargers' tally coming with a Tammaro walk followed by a Walraven RBI double down the left field line.
 
The Blue and Gold added important insurance run in the top of the sixth frame. Tammaro led off the stanza with a double that chased Egan from the game, and DeMorais cashed in on the runner in scoring position with an RBI single up the box to extend the Chargers' lead to 5-3.
 
Southern Connecticut State pushed a run across in the bottom of the eighth and put the tying and go-ahead runs aboard with two outs. However, Vilacha came out of the bullpen to quell the threat and maintain the 5-4 advantage entering the ninth inning.
 
An SCSU single and a hit batter put the tying run in scoring position in the final frame before Vilacha closed the door on the one-run victory.
 
The Blue and Gold will conclude the regular season this weekend for a three-game divisional series at Adelphi beginning with a single game on Friday followed by a Saturday doubleheader. The Chargers need to keep pace with the Owls, who travel to Pace for a three-game set, to claim the top seed in the NE-10 Southwest.
 
Details surrounding the Chargers' opponent and destination for the NE-10 Championship First Round will be available as they are finalized by the conference office.