(03-15-08)
Box Score
WEST HAVEN, Conn. -- Six different players drove in a run to back a 7 1/3-inning effort by pitcher Matt Sommo, and the University of New Haven baseball team held off a late rally by Saint Anselm College, winning 6-5 at Frank Vieira Field on Saturday afternoon.
Sommo struck out eight and allowed three runs in 7 1/3 innings for UNH, which snapped an eight-game losing streak to start the season. Mitch Rossi picked up his first collegiate save despite allowing a pair of runs in the final inning.
Saint Anselm (4-7) got a pair of RBI's from Ryan Gargan in the ninth inning as the Hawks nearly rallied from a 6-0 deficit. Gargan's double over the head of right fielder Ken Appel made the score 6-5 and had the fans on edge with two outs. But Rossi recovered to get Ryan O'Rourke to ground out to short stop, ending the game.
Saint A's started its rally in the top of the eighth, chasing Sommo from the game and getting three runs overall. UNH's starter had allowed six hits and seven baserunners overall in the first seven innings, but with one out, gave up a pair of doubles sandwiched around a walk and was lifted from the contest with a 6-1 lead.
Reliever Mike Aquilino got a groundout to short stop for the second out of the inning, but it forced in a run to make the score 6-2. He then gave up an RBI single to Evan Kelleher to make it 6-3. Both runs were charged to Sommo. Brendan Burke came in to get the final out of the inning, a grounder to second base.
In the ninth, Melvin Perdue broke out of an 0-for-4 slump with a one-out single up the middle off of Rossi to start the Hawks' rally. Rossi struck out Adam Hussey for the second out, but then walked Dave Wirkus on four straight pitches. That set the stage for Gargan, who took a 1-2 pitch to the opposite field over Appel's head.
But Rossi recovered to get O'Rourke to ground out to short on the very next pitch, ending the game.
UNH got most of its offense early off of Saint Anselm starter Mike Fantini. The Chargers got a run in the first off an RBI single up the middle by Jimmy Rivas, then plated four more runs in the bottom of the third inning.
In the third, Chad Lemos singled to right to drive in Rivas, then Cesar Garrido doubled to left center to make the score 3-0. Dan Rosa singled up the middle with two outs to make it a 4-0 game, and Appel singled through the right side for the final run of the inning.
UNH got their final tally in the fourth when Michael Moras singled through the left side to drive in Tom Rombilus.
UNH continues non-conference play versus future NE-10 opponent Merrimack College tomorrow, Sunday, March 16 at noon at Vieira Field.
