WALTHAM, Mass. – The New Haven baseball team used some timely hitting to take an 8-6 win in game one of Saturday's doubleheader at Bentley, but the Falcons rebounded to top New Haven 1-0 in game two. Junior Billy Huber (Smithtown, N.Y./Hauppauge) picked up four hits and two RBIs in game one, senior Andrew Garcia (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue Medford) went 3-for-5 with two RBIs in the opener and sophomore Rob Giovanelli (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) finished with three hits on the day, two of which came in game one with three RBIs.

Senior Christopher Leindecker (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) threw 5.2 innings in game one, allowing four earned runs and stuck out four, sophomore Cam Guarino (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) picked up his first win of the season with 1.1 innings of relief, and junior Brandon LaManna (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) threw two lockdown innings out of the pen for his third save. Junior Devon DiMascio (Mansfield, Mass./Xaverian Brothers) got the start in game two and allowed just one earned run over five innings.

GAME ONE

Game one of Saturday's doubleheader served as the 2,000th game in the history of the New Haven baseball program, the first Charger program to reach that milestone. Bentley grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning after putting together four hits. The Chargers immediately answered with two runs to tie the game in the top of the third. After two quick outs, Huber singled and Matt Chamberlain (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) walked, and each picked up a steal to advance to second and third. Giovanelli stepped in and delivered a clutch two-run single to centerfield to knot the score at 2-2.

Bentley had the quick response once again and retook the lead at 3-2 in the bottom of the inning with a two-out hit of its own.

New Haven retook the lead with a three-run fifth, collecting three singles and a walk to start the inning and knocking the starting pitcher out of the game. Noah Fortuna (Plainview, N.Y./St. Anthony's) drew a walk and Huber singled. After Chamberlain walked to load the bases, Giovanelli knocked in a run with a RBI single, and Garcia followed with a two-run single to the opposite field in right to break the tie and give the Chargers the 5-3 edge.

Bentley once again clawed back to tie the game following a pair of two-out RBI singles in both the fifth and sixth innings.

Hunter Boag (Colts Neck, N.J./Colts Neck) came off the bench to deliver a pinch-hit leadoff double to start the seventh inning before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Two batters later, James Myers (Saint James, N.Y./Smithtown East) delivered the hit that put the Chargers on top for good with a RBI single to center field. Noah Budzik (Cromwell, Conn./Cromwell) added a single, then two batters later, Huber delivered a huge knock to left field for a two-run single, plating Budzik and Myers with two big insurance runs to put the Chargers up 8-5.

After the Falcons got within 8-6 in the eighth, LaManna came in to record the final six outs, including three strikeouts for his third save of the season.

GAME TWO

The Chargers put together game two's first scoring chance in the top of the third, when Budzik and Chamberlain reached base and advanced to second and third with two outs before getting stranded.

The Chargers threatened once again in the fourth when Giovanelli led off with a wall-ball double to left, but was stranded after three straight outs. In the fifth, Thomas Eletto (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley) led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Myers. Budzik singled to put runners at first and third with one out, but a line out and fly out to left field ended the inning.

Bentley made some noise with a leadoff triple to left field to lead off the fifth, but DiMascio induced a fly ball to right field for the second out, and Boag came up and fired a strike to the plate in the air to nail the would-be go-ahead run at home, keeping the game scoreless.

Bentley broke through for the game's only run in the bottom of the sixth, using a leadoff single and a passed ball to get a runner to second with one out. The Falcons took the lead on a double to center field, with the ball landing just beyond the glove of a diving Chamberlain for the 1-0 lead.

New Haven stranded a runner at third to end the seventh, and catcher George Pappas (Binghamton, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) threw out a Bentley runner at second to end the bottom of the inning.

With New Haven down to its final out in the ninth, Dylon Grzenda (North Attleboro, Mass./North Attleboro) plopped a single into right field and Myers drew a walk to move the tying run into scoring position. Budzik followed by smacking a ground ball towards the hole on the right side, which bounced off the first baseman's glove and rolled away. Grzenda raced around from second to try and score the tying run but was thrown out (4-2) at the plate to end the game.

New Haven takes to the field for another doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Stonehill, beginning at noon. All of the action will be streamed live on NE10 NOW.