PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Freshman Dylan Chiaro (Southington, Conn./Southington) and junior Matt Chamberlain (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) each launched home runs on Wednesday afternoon, but it was not enough as the New Haven baseball team fell at Pace by a score of 8-3. Chiaro's long ball was the first of his collegiate career and was part of a 1-for-3 day at the plate. Chamberlain reached base three times going 1-for-3 on the day with a walk and two runs scored, and senior Andrew Garcia (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue Medford) went 2-for-4 with a double.
Chargers' starter Thomas Eletto (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley) went the first five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out a season-high six batters. Pace starter Dan Wirchansky earned the win, striking out 13 Chargers and allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits. He did not allow a hit after third inning and retired 15 of the last 16 batters he faced.
After Eletto used two strikeouts for a quick bottom of the first, the Chargers squandered a chance in the second, failing to score after putting the first two men on base. The Setters followed with a run in the bottom of the second with a leadoff walk and a steal, followed by a bloop RBI single to center field to take a 1-0 lead.
The Chargers answered right back in the top of the third, knotting the game 1-1 when Chiaro led off by blasting a home run down the right field line.
The Chargers struck again for a run in the top of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead with an unearned run. Chamberlain walked leading off, and later broke for second base on a steal attempt, getting caught off the bag following a pickoff attempt from the pitcher. The first baseman came up throwing and heaved the ball over the shortstop's head, which rolled into the left-center field gap, allowing Chamberlain to hustle all the way around and score the go-ahead run.
Pace got the run back in the bottom of the fourth to retie the game 2-2 on a sacrifice fly, which followed a leadoff single. The Setters then regained the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth after the leadoff batter was hit by a pitch, went to second on a bunt, then scored on a base hit to right field.
Chamberlain broke up a string out eight batters in a row retired by Wirchansky by getting hit by a pitch with two down in the sixth. He then stole second, but was stranded.
Pace then scored for the third consecutive inning, pushing across a pair of runs against the Chargers bullpen in the sixth to up their advantage to 5-2. With runners on first and second with two outs, two unearned runs came in to score on a dropped popup in shallow right field, giving the Setters a three-run cushion.
Christopher Leindecker (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) worked around a hit for a scoreless seventh inning of relief, but Pace then opened it up with three additional insurance runs in the eighth inning. Three doubles in the inning helped plate two of the runs, and after a throwing error extended the inning, Pace's eighth and final run came home on a wild pitch to make it an 8-2 game.
Chamberlain got the Chargers back on the board with his team-leading sixth home run, cranking a solo shot to right field with one down in the ninth inning to cut it to 8-3.
The Chargers will open up a three-game series with Adelphi at Frank Vieira Field starting with a doubleheader this Saturday at noon.
