BOX SCORE MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – David Palmer (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) pitched well into the seventh inning and Robert Petrillo (Branford, Conn./Branford) had three hits as the University of New Haven baseball team opened its season with a 5-4 win against the Queens (N.Y.) Knights at the Northeast Challenge on Thursday evening.
 
The Chargers scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning when with two outs, Petrillo singled in front of Nick Perrelli (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) who doubled, scoring the runner for a 1-0 lead. After Queens took the lead in the bottom of the fourth, New Haven reestablished its advantage in the fifth. With one out, back-to-back singles from Matt Chamberlain (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) and Tom Walraven (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) put runners on first and second. Two batters later, Petrillo singled home Chamberlain, giving the Blue and Gold a 2-0 lead and moving Walraven to third. The Chargers then executed a double steal, plating Walraven to go up 3-1.  
 
New Haven struck again in the seventh when Chamberlain walked, was sacrificed to second, stole third and came in to score on a Nick Russo (Shirley, N.Y./William Floyd) single. Another Knights run in the bottom of the inning sliced the Chargers lead to 4-2.
 
The Blue and Gold picked up an insurance run in the eighth when PJ Contreras (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The run would prove to be critical as Queens scored twice in the bottom of the frame, cutting the New Haven edge to 5-4. Kellen Croce (Middlebury, Conn./Gunnery School / Maine) came on in the ninth and struck out the side to preserve the win.
 
Palmer (1-0) earned the victory with 6.2 innings of work, allowing five hits and striking out six,
 
The Chargers are back in action on Friday when they continue play in the Northeast Challenge taking on Mercy at 3:00 p.m.