WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The No. 23 University of Baseball team (7-0) opened up its home slate on Tuesday evening with a 3-0 victory over Bridgeport (1-8) in a non-conference game at Vieira Field. The Chargers 7-0 record is the best start for the team since the 2004 season when New Haven began the season 8-0. 
 
In a true pitcher's duel, New Haven had only two hits on the day with junior Joe Caico (Hopedale, Mass./Worcester (MA)) and freshman Rob Giovanelli (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) getting the base knocks for the Chargers. Graduate student Tom Walraven (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) batted in one run and sophomore Billy Huber (Smithtown, N.Y./Hauppauge) bunted home two additional runs. The Purple Knights tallied only three hits, with sophomore Devon DiMascio (Mansfield, Mass./Xaverian Brothers) recording the win with 5.0 innings pitched and five strikeouts. In addition, senior Kellen Croce (Cheshire, Conn./Gunnery School) earned his first save of the season.
 
New Haven scored early with a two-out RBI single by Walraven, plating sophomore Matt Chamberlain (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) who got on base with a walk in the first Charger at bat of the game. Bridgeport loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning, but DiMascio worked out of a huge jam, firing a high fastball past Jose Negron to sit him down swinging.
 
The game would then go scoreless for three more innings before New Haven broke the ice in the bottom of the eighth. Giovanelli and junior James Myers (Saint James, N.Y./Smithtown East) each walked to force a Bridgeport pitching change. On a failed pickoff attempt, Giovanelli advanced to third before Chamberlain reached on a walk to load the bases. Huber dropped a sacrifice bunt that first scored Giovanelli, but Myers didn't stop at third and wheeled all the way home for New Haven's third run of the game.
 
Croce came in to pitch to finish out the game, retiring the side in order in the top of the ninth. Freshman Izaiya Mestre (Pittsfield, Mass./Taconic) and sophomore Brandon LaManna (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) were also excellent on the hill, with Mestre fanning five batters in 2.0 innings pitched and LaManna throwing a three-up, three-down eighth inning with one strikeout. Anthony Martino suffered the loss for the Purple Knights, allowing one earned run over 6.0 innings pitched.
 
New Haven will next travel to Florida and are scheduled to play three games in the Sunshine State. The southern swing will begin with a game against Adelphi on Saturday, March 10 before taking on Caldwell for a single game (March 13) and Post (March 14) for a doubleheader.