NORFOLK, Va. — New Haven Baseball (5-25, 4-13 NEC) faced off against Norfolk State University (14-21, 11-13 NEC) in a closely contested series, resulting in a mix of outcomes over three games. The Chargers dropped the first game 9-7 on Friday, lost 9-8 in extra innings on Saturday, but secured a commanding 15-4 victory on Sunday.

New Haven opened the series with a competitive game on Friday. The Chargers took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when Nick Ungania (Mineola, N.Y./Chaminade) singled, advanced on steals, and scored on a passed ball. Norfolk State answered in the second, tying the game at 1-1, before taking a 3-1 lead. New Haven responded with a strong fourth inning, tying the game at 4-4 thanks to a solo home run from Matthew McIntire and a double from Cam McGugan (Mystic, Conn./Fitch). However, Norfolk State's five-run eighth inning proved decisive, despite a late rally from New Haven in the ninth, highlighted by Shaun Callahan's (Newington, Conn./Newington) three-run home run, which brought the final score to 9-7.

In the second game, New Haven faced Norfolk State again on Saturday, where they fought hard but ultimately lost 9-8 in a tense extra-inning affair. Norfolk State initially led with a two-RBI single from Ryan Hoeft. New Haven capitalized on defensive errors in the second inning to take a 4-2 lead. They extended their lead to 7-3 in the third, with notable contributions from Joseph Frazzetta (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) and Bobby Herzman (Cheshire, Conn./HC Wilcox). However, Norfolk State rallied with a four-run homer from Hoeft, tying the game at 7-7. The teams exchanged leads, and after an eighth-inning RBI single from Frazzetta tied the game at 8-8, the game went to extra innings. In the tenth, Josiah Harrison's single scored the winning run for Norfolk State, ending the game at 9-8.

Sunday brought a turnaround for New Haven as they dominated Norfolk State with a decisive 15-4 victory. The Chargers opened strong, scoring four runs in the first inning, with Jake Russo (Yaphank, N.Y./Bellport) and Shaun Callahan (Newington, Conn./Newington) leading the charge. New Haven continued to build their lead, with six runs in the fifth inning and additional runs in the sixth and eighth. Cole Gibson (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlow) pitched seven strong innings for New Haven, striking out seven and allowing just one earned run, while the offense was powered by Russo's four runs and Callahan's four hits, including two doubles.

Looking ahead, the Chargers will host Quinnipiac University at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 at Frank Vieira Field in West Haven, Conn.