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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – A comeback attempt by the New Haven baseball team fell short on Friday afternoon in a 7-5 season-opening defeat to Wilmington. Junior Matt Chamberlain (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) and senior Andrew Garcia (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue Medford) each went 2-for-3 and reached base three times. Chamberlain added three runs scored and two RBI including a two-run homer. Senior catcher PJ Contreras (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge) also drew three walks and knocked in a run.
On the mound, starter Devon DeMascio struck out five and issued one walk over six innings of work while allowing five earned runs. Sophomore Cam Guarino (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) fired three innings of relief, striking out three batters.
The Wildcats wasted no time jumping on the board with three quick runs in the first inning. The first two batters reached on singles through the right side before advancing on a balk. Kendall Small drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to center field to give Wilmington the early 1-0 edge. Eddie Nevins followed by stepping up and sent a two-run homer over the left field fence for the early 3-0 lead.
After going down in order in the first, Garcia led off the second with a single through the left side, and Contreras drew a walk two batters later, but WU's Noah Latshaw recovered to escape the threat with back-to-back strikeouts.
Wilmington tacked on a run to go up 4-0 in the third inning following a leadoff bunt single by Max Carney, who eventually scored on a sac fly.
The Chargers began to chip way in the bottom of the fourth, scratching across a run off three walks and a trio of wild pitches. Chamberlain led off with a walk and stole second. Contreras later drew a two-out walk and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Dillon Grzenda followed by drawing a walk, on which another wild pitch sailed to the backstop allowing Chamberlain to race home from third with the Chargers first run of the season.
Wilmington got the run right back in the top of the fifth to regain their four-run cushion at 5-1, following one-out walk, an infield single and a throwing error.
Once again the Chargers refused to go away and scored a pair of quick runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and getting into Wilmington's bullpen. Noah Budzik (Cromwell, Conn./Cromwell) opened the frame with a single to right field. Chamberlain stepped in and swatted a two-run shot over the fence in right field for the Chargers first home run of the season, chasing Latshaw from the game and getting New Haven within 5-3.
New Haven kept the inning going as Garcia drew a walk, Contreras walked for the third time and Grzenda got hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. But Wilmington escaped further damage by cutting a runner down at the plate, and inducing a pop out to the catcher.
The Wildcats once again answered the Chargers rally with two runs in the top of the seventh, using a walk and infield single to set the stage for a two-run double with two outs to extend their lead to 7-3.
Guarino struck out two in a scoreless top of the eighth, Chamberlain and Garcia used back-to-back singles to open up the home half of the inning, with Chamberlain going first-to-third on Garcia's hit to right field. Following a pitching change, Thomas Eletto (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley) drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out.
After another pitching change, Contreras knocked in a run with a fielder's choice, as the third baseman threw the ball into right field, allowing both Chamberlain and Garcia to score, cutting it to 7-5. Wilmington was then able to limit the damage with a pop up to right field and a 3-6-1 double play to end the inning.
Guarino came back out for a shutdown inning in the top of the ninth, but the Chargers went down in order in the bottom of the ninth.
New Haven will return to action with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon in Myrtle Beach, starting with an 11am matchup against Felician, followed by a 2 p.m. showdown against No. 19 Saint Thomas Aquinas.
