CARY, N.C. – The New Haven baseball team won its fourth game in a row on Friday, kicking off its North Carolina tip on the right note with a solid 9-1 win over Dominican. Four different Chargers had two hits apiece including junior Billy Huber (Smithtown, N.Y./Hauppauge), senior PJ Contreras (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge) and senior Dylon Grzenda (North Attleboro, Mass./North Attleboro), who each had one RBI. Junior Matt Chamberlain (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) drove in three runs and had a pair of triples in the win.
On the mound, sophomore Izayia Mestre earned his second win in as many starts to begin the season, going 5.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out five. Christopher Leindecker (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) and Ben Shadek each made their second career appearances and combined for four scoreless innings of relief. New Haven moves to 4-1 on the season and drops Dominican to 2-3.
After retiring the side in order in the first, Mestre got into a bases loaded, one out jam in the second, but escaped unharmed with a pair of back-to-back strikeouts. After allowing a one out knock in the third he did not allow another hit over his final 2.2 innings of work.
The Chargers broke through with the game's first runs in the top of the fourth inning. Three straight hits to open the frame put New Haven on top 2-0, with Noah Budzik (Cromwell, Conn./Cromwell) leading off with a single, Huber following with a double, then Chamberlain stepping up and knocking both men in with his first triple of the day. Three batters later Contreras brought Chamberlain in on a RBI double to up the lead to 3-0.
Mestre worked around two walks to strand both runners and preserve the lead in the bottom of the fourth, but Dominican broke through in the fifth with a run following a leadoff walk, stolen base and RBI groundout.
New Haven immediately answered with three insurance runs in the top of the sixth off the Dominican bullpen. Contreras singled, Thomas Eletto (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley) walked and Grzenda singled to load the bases with nobody out. James Myers (Saint James, N.Y./Smithtown East) and Huber each drew bases loaded walks to bring in runs, and Chamberlain brought home Grdenda with a fielder's choice to make it a 7-1 game.
Contreras drew a one-out walk in the seventh before moving to third on a double from Rob Giovanelli (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset), then scoring on a sac fly from Grzenda. With two outs in the eighth inning, Chamberlain drilled his second triple of the game, then raced home on a wild pitch to bring the score to 9-1.
Leindecker and Shadek made the runs stand up, with Leindecker scattering three hits while striking out five over three scoreless innings. Shadek followed with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure the win.
The Chargers will return to action in Cary with a pair of games on Saturday, beginning at 2:30 p.m. against Jefferson, followed by their first-ever matchup with Clarion at 6 p.m.
