RINDGE, N.H. – The University of New Haven baseball team dropped a pair of Northeast-10 Conference games to the nationally ranked No. 4 Franklin Pierce Ravens on Saturday, falling 10-5 in the opener before being upended 6-1 in the nightcap.
 
With the wins, the Ravens improve to 19-1 with a 2-0 record in the NE-10. New Haven drops to 2-6 with an 0-2 conference mark
 
The Chargers struck first in game one as in the bottom of the third, Zach Collett (Westbrook, Maine/Westbrook) tripled into right field and scored a batter later on a groundout by TJ Riccio (Port Jeff Station, N.Y./Comsewogue). The Ravens responded, however, with single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings to take a 3-1 lead.
 
New Haven battled back in the bottom of the seventh as with two outs, Kyle Cullen (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) doubled before Brendan O'Reilly (Devon, Pa./Conestoga) singled him home to slice the lead to 3-2. Franklin Pierce went on the offensive in the final two innings, however, taking a 10-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
 
The Chargers did not go quietly in the last inning. Robert Petrillo (Branford, Conn./Branford) singled in front of a Collett double. Riccio plated Petrillo with a sacrifice fly before Cullen drove in Collett with a double. Joe Caico (Hopedale, Mass./Worcester (MA)) capped the scoring as he singled down the right field line to score Cullen.
 
Vincent Aprea (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue) pitched well for New Haven, allowing two runs and striking out five in six innings.
 
In game two, the Chargers trailed 3-0 heading into the sixth before Petrillo doubled to open the innings. Two batters later, Cullen singled him home, slicing the lead to 3-1. The Ravens pulled away with two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to cement the final margin.
 
New Haven is in action next on Wednesday when it hosts cross-town rival Southern Connecticut State in a Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division game at Vieira Field at 3:30 p.m.