(03-22-08)
Box Score - Game One
Box Score - Game Two
WEST HAVEN, Conn. -- Sophomore Kyle Donnelly (photo) laid down a near-perfect bunt along the third base line with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, driving in the winning run for the University of New Haven baseball team in a 4-3 East Coast Conference win over Mercy College at Frank Vieira Field on Saturday afternoon. Mercy had defeated the Chargers in the first game of the doubleheader, 9-2.
UNH is now 4-10 this season and 1-1 in the ECC, while Mercy is 5-11 and 1-1.
The teams finish off the three-game set at Mercy on Monday afternoon.
UNH freshman Greg Steele finished game two 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, while Jimmy Rivas drove in three runs on the afternoon by hitting a combined 4-for-8. Dan Johnson saved game two with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out four while walking just one.
GAME TWO - UNH 4, Mercy 3 (7 innings)
Donnelly, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning, got the game-winner in his only at-bat of the afternoon in either game. With runners on the corners and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Mercy third baseman Craig Ross was playing behind the bag, leaving space for Donnelly's bunt on a 2-0 offering from pitcher Matt Moreno.
Donnelly, who actually showed bunt on one of the previous two pitches, placed the ball perfectly along the third base line. It was too far down the line for Moreno to get a solid handle on in time to make a throw to first base, and pinch runner Bobby Wilcher scrambled home to give UNH a much-needed victory in ECC play after dropping game one of the doubleheader.
As was the issue for UNH in the day's opener, errors played a major factor in game two. Mercy committed a pair of gaffes, which allowed UNH to get three unearned runs off of starter Anthony DiCarlo in the fourth inning to tie the contest.
Mercy had gone ahead 3-0 after a triple by Ross in the second inning turned into a run when Marc Dern got himself caught in a rundown.
In the fourth, the Mavericks plated a pair of runs off UNH starter T.J. Phalen before Johnson came on in relief to stop the scoring. Johnson entered the game with two men on and just one out, but struck out both Justin Muscarella and Vincent Tesoriero to get the Chargers out of the frame trailing by just three.
UNH, which stranded 12 men in this game, got their three runs with two outs in the fourth inning. Steele, who finished 2-for-3, singled up the middle to start the rally, and Kyle Bombace followed with a walk. Tom Rombilus then singled deep in the hole at short stop to load the bases for Evan Okon. His hard-hit ball to the right side looked like it would be caught by second baseman Kyle Mundy, but he appeared to get distracted and allowed the line drive to drop just below his glove, helping two runs score. Rivas then drove in the third run on a single to right field, tying the game.
GAME ONE - Mercy 9, UNH 2
Mercy starter Stephen Marsar improved to 3-0 this season by allowing just two runs in seven innings of work. He gave up seven hits and walked four, striking out five. But he settled down after allowing single runs in the first and third innings, allowing just five baserunners the rest of the way.
Matt Walsh and Ken Mundy each drove in a pair of runs for Mercy, while Chris Pannullo, Craig Ross and Graig Lauricella had an RBI each.
UNH did not help itself by committing four errors that led to three unearned runs against starter Matt Sommo, who held the Mavericks scoreless until there were two outs in the fifth inning.
After walking Justin Muscarella, Sommo allowed him to get all the way around to third after a poor throw on a pickoff attempt at first base. Chris Pannullo then singled to right field to cut the UNH lead to 2-1. Back-to-back singles by Steve Summer and Craig Ross followed.
But Ross's hit wouldn't have necessarily hurt Sommo and the Chargers - until the bouncing ball was misplayed by left fielder Wilcher. That allowed both runs to score and give Mercy its first lead of the afternoon.
They would not trail again, adding four runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth.
Rivas drove in both of the Chargers' runs on singles in the first and third innings. He was the lone UNH player with multiple hits in the opener.
