NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Senior Tim Kennedy (Ridge, N.Y./Longwood) dominated on the mound and got support from his offense as the No. 6 University of New Haven baseball team (18-2, 3-2 NE10) breezed past the Southern Connecticut State Owls at the Ballpark at SCSU on Wednesday afternoon.
New Haven brought out the bats, racking up 14 hits against the Owls, the seventh game this season that the Blue and Gold has posted 10 or more hits as a team. Six Chargers finished with at least two hits, with leadoff batter, sophomore Matt Chamberlain (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) going 3-for-4 on the day with three RBI and one run scored. Joining Chamberlain with three RBI was graduate student Tom Walraven (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) who scattered two hits, one of which was a two-RBI double.
Graduate student Jack Zagaja (Merrick, N.Y./St. Dominic), junior PJ Contreras (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge), junior James Myers (Saint James, N.Y./Smithtown East) and freshman Rob Giovanelli (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) all drove in one run on a pair of hits. Myers scored three times, while Giovanelli and Contreras both reached home safety twice. Finally, senior Joe Caico (Hopedale, Mass./Worcester (MA)) plated two runs on an RBI double in the ninth.
Kennedy (5-0) made quick work of the Owls in the Northeast-10 divisional opener, working through 8.0 innings, his longest performance of the season. He also fanned seven batters and only allowed three hits while surrendering just one earned run.
The Owls went hitless over the first two innings, as Kennedy retired his first six batters in order, fanning three of them. Kennedy was backed up by his offense as the Chargers got on the board first in the top of the third and led for the remainder of the game with Contreras doubling down the left field line and scoring on a Myers sacrifice bunt before Walraven sent Myers home on a base hit to center field.
Southern Connecticut cut into the lead with a run in the bottom of the sixth, but New Haven took the run back and more, adding a fourth run in the top of the seventh and another in the top of the eighth to stretch the score out to 5-1.
The New Haven bats proved to be too much for the Owls in the ninth inning, as the Blue and Gold plated seven runs on five hits, the most runs that New Haven has scored in an inning this season. The Chargers batted around the order, with Myers and Chamberlain getting on base first to start the rally. Walraven laced a double to left center to score both baserunners, and Caico pulled another extra-base hit down the right field line as Zagaja and Walraven scored. Giovanelli knocked in the Chargers 10th run with a single up the middle, and Chamberlain drove in Myers and Contreras to put an exclamation point on the victory.
New Haven returns to divisional action on Friday and Saturday, March 30 and 31 for a home three-game division series against American International. First pitch for Friday's game is slated for 3:00 pm, with Saturday's double header beginning at 12:00 pm. For fans who are unable to attend, live stats and video will be available on the Charger Sports Network.
