New Haven Baseball Recap: Chargers Take one of Three from Pace
The University of New Haven Chargers hosted Pace University for a thrilling three-game series this weekend, with the  Chargers emerging victorious in one out of the three games, highlighted by strong pitching performances.
Game 1: Pace 6, New Haven 1
The opening game of the series saw New Haven drop a tough 6-1 decision to Pace. Despite a strong performance on the mound from Liam Carroll (Massapequa Park, N.Y., Massapequa), who went five innings, allowing one earned run while striking out three, the Chargers struggled to generate offense.
New Haven's lone run came in the second inning when Nick Ungania (Mineola, N.Y., Chaminade, Binghamton)Â scored on a sacrifice fly by Kenneth Franquiz (Bellmore. N.Y., Mepham). The Chargers' bats were held in check for much of the game, managing only four hits. Pace's pitcher J. Dressler picked up the win with a solid five-inning outing, limiting New Haven to just two hits and one earned run.
Despite the loss, New Haven showed resilience on defense and kept the game within reach, but ultimately, they couldn't overcome the offensive firepower of Pace in the later innings.
Game 2: New Haven 6, Pace 3
New Haven bounced back in game two with a much-needed 6-3 win, showing off both offensive depth and clutch pitching. Michael Gatti (East Norwich, N.Y., Oyster Bay)Â was strong on the mound, pitching six innings, allowing just three runs while striking out six. But it was Jafar Vohra (Shelton, Conn., Shelton, Columbia)Â who stole the show in relief, tossing three scoreless innings with five strikeouts to preserve the win.
The Chargers' offense came to life in the sixth inning, where they scored two runs, and then broke it wide open with a four-run seventh. Key performances came from the bottom of the lineup, including a crucial two-RBI single from Ungania and an RBI single from Cam McGugan (Mystic, Conn., Fitch). Casey Cerruto (Torrington, Conn., St. Paul Catholic)Â also had a productive day, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Pace's starting pitcher, V. Civitella, kept things close through the first five innings but ultimately couldn't hold off the late surge from New Haven's hitters. New Haven's defense also showed its mettle with a couple of key plays to keep Pace from scoring late.
Game 3: Pace 1, New Haven 0
The University of New Haven could not overcome a dominant pitching performance by Pace in the series finale, falling 1-0. The Chargers' offense was stifled by Pace's starter, Ryan Degnan, who tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just five hits and striking out four.
The game's only run came in the second inning, when Pace capitalized on a New Haven defensive miscue. A single by Luke Rivara and a walk to Ryan Caffrey set the stage for J.J. Miller, who singled to right field, driving in Rivara for the game's only run. Despite some strong pitching by New Haven's Vincent Fusco (Fishkill, N.Y., John Jay East Fishkill), and Randy Ramnarace (Brentwood, N.Y., Brentwood), the Chargers were unable to break through offensively.
New Haven had opportunities, including runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings, but were unable to push a run across. Degnan's command and the Pace defense were too much for the Chargers to overcome.
