WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven baseball team dropped both ends of its Northeast-10 Southwest Division doubleheader against the division-leading Adelphi Panthers on Saturday; 8-5 and 11-4. Prior to the game, the Chargers honored their five member senior class comprised of Andrew Garcia (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue Medford), Christopher Leindecker (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme), Dylon Grzenda (North Attleboro, Mass./North Attleboro), James Myers (Saint James, N.Y./Smithtown East) and PJ Contreras (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge).

Leading the Chargers in the first two games of their divisional series against the Panthers was designated hitter Thomas Eletto (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley), who finished with four hits in eight at bats with a pair of doubles and an RBI over the doubleheader. Junior centerfielder Matt Chamberlain (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) drove in a team-best two RBI on the day while Grzenda, Josh Lester (Amityville, N.Y./Copiague) and George Pappas (Binghamton, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) all chipped in one RBI apiece.

On the hill, each of the Chargers' starters suffered the loss with Leindecker and Cam Guarino (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) picking up the decisions. Leindecker threw 6.2 innings in the opening game, surrendering seven earned runs on 10 hits and striking out a staff-best eight batters. Guarino pitched four innings to open game two, surrendering six earned runs on seven hits while striking out five.

A pair of relievers threw a combined 6.1 shutout innings for the Chargers with freshman Dominic Rutigliano (Franklin Square, N.Y./Carey) leading the way, throwing four innings without allowing a run on five hits while recording a trio of strikeouts. Rookie Kevin McNiff (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) also joined in the shutout with 2.1 innings of scoreless work allowing one hit and striking out a two.

The Chargers and Panthers will close out their series on Monday afternoon with a single game at 3:30 p.m. at Frank Vieira Field.

GAME ONE: Adelphi 8, New Haven 5

The Chargers were unable to hold onto a pair of early one-run leads in the second and third innings, with the Panthers pulling ahead for good with six runs in the top of the fourth inning.

Pappas picked up his lone RBI on the afternoon by driving in the Blue and Gold's first run of the day when he plated Eletto on a double to center field in the second inning. Chamberlain would pick up his first RBI of the day in the third inning when he scored Myers to take a 2-1 lead.

After giving up six runs in the top of the fourth, the Chargers began to pick away at the deficit with two runs in the fourth and a single run in the fifth inning to make it a 7-5 game. In the fourth inning both runs came around to score on an error by the Panther's pitcher, while Eletto drove in Chamberlain in the fifth inning on a single to right field for his only RBI of the day.

Trailing 8-5, New Haven would threaten again in the seventh inning but stranded a pair of runners, while Myers led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a single through the right side before Panther's closer Tom Ambrosino induced a ground ball for a double play to end the game and earn his 12th save of the season.

GAME TWO: Adelphi 11, New Haven 4

New Haven would need to work from behind the entirety of game two after allowing three runs in each of the first two innings and a single run in the fourth as the Panthers opened up a 7-0 lead.

The Chargers began to chip away at the deficit with a single run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to pull within 7-3. In the fourth inning, Eletto led off the frame with his second two-bagger of the game to right field before being sacrificed home on a fly ball to right field by Lester.

Freshmen Hunter Boag (Colts Neck, N.J./Colts Neck) and Noah Budzik (Cromwell, Conn./Cromwell) led off the bottom of the fifth inning with back-to-back singles before the Chargers took advantage of a throwing error that allowed Boag to score from second base and Budzik to advance to third. Next up, Chamberlain drilled a fly ball to right field, allowing Budzik to score with the Chargers' third run.

The Chargers kept chipping away at the lead with another run in the seventh inning before stranding two more runners on base. Grzenda would get the credit of driving in Chamberlain, who led off the inning reaching on a hit by pitch. The junior centerfielder swiped second and third before Grzenda drove him in with a fly ball to right field.

However, Adelphi responded by plating four runs in the top of the ninth to take an 11-4 lead, helping to put the game out of reach.