(04-26-08)
Box Score - Game One / Box Score - Game Two
WEST HAVEN, Conn. -- The University of New Haven baseball team took two games from visiting C.W. Post on Saturday. UNH won the opener 4-2 and followed with a 1-0 victory in game two.
With the wins the Chargers move to 14-9 in conference play and now stand only half a game out of first place in the East Coast Conference standings.
Matt Sommo allowed just one earned run on four hits in 7 1/3 innings to pick up the victory in game one. He struck out two and, despite giving up a run in the first inning, carried a no hitter through the first 4 1/3 innings. Jimmy Rivas drove in a pair of runs in game one, while Michael Moras finished 3-for-4. Tom Rombilus scored twice.
In game two, starting pitcher Dan Blake (photo) tossed 6 2/3 innings of shut-out ball in a 1-0 Charger victory. He scattered seven hits while walking none and had two strikeouts. UNH (19-21 overall) capitalized on a two-out error by the Pioneers to plate their only run in the second inning. Left fielder Adam Rozum went 3-for-3 and had a crucial outfield assist in the top of the fourth inning to get a Pioneer runner at the plate.
Up next for the Chargers is an away game at Bridgeport on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.
GAME ONE RECAP: UNH 4, C.W. Post 2
Sommo allowed just one earned run on four hits in 7 1/3 innings to pick up the victory in game one. He struck out two and, despite giving up a run in the first inning, carried a no hitter through the first 4 1/3 innings before Brian Algarroba singled up the middle.
Mike Aquilino relieved Sommo with one out in the eighth and gave up an RBI single through the left side, but recovered to get an inning-ending double play to hold the lead. Freshman closer Mitch Rossi picked up his fourth save of the season with a perfect ninth, striking out the final two batters of the game.
C.W. Post hurt starting pitcher Kevin Gerard with four errors, leading to three unearned runs. He gave up an earned run to the Chargers in the bottom of the first, tying the game at 1-all. Tom Rombilus led off with a single and came around to score on a Jimmy Rivas single up the middle.
UNH got one unearned run in the third after Evan Okon doubled and Rivas's fly ball to right center was dropped by two C.W. Post outfielders who nearly collided.
Then UNH got two unearned runs in the fifth inning thanks to two Pioneer errors. Rombilus reached on a throwing error from second base, pulling the first baseman off the bag. Evan Okon singled on a high chopper that bounded over the third baseman's head, putting runners on the corners for Rivas. His fielder's choice grounder erased Okon but made it 3-1 UNH. Moras singled to put two on again, and a dropped pop up between third and short stop resulted in the fourth UNH tally crossing the plate.
GAME TWO RECAP: UNH 1, C.W. Post 0 (7 innings)
Blake picked up the victory for UNH in game two, giving up seven hits while striking out two in 6 1/3 innings. Rozum led the way for UNH at the plate. He went 3-for-3 on the afternoon, tallying three of the four UNH hits. The Charger defense threw out two Pioneers at the plate to preserve the shut-out. Reliever Rossi came on late to record the final out for UNH.
In the second inning, catcher Moras drew a lead-off walk. Following a single by Rozum, designated hitter Tom Ballaro grounded into a double-play. Then with two outs Kyle Donnelly reached on an error by C.W. Post second baseman Kyle Walker, scoring Moras for the only run of the game.
The UNH pitching was helped out by some excellent defense in game two. In both the fourth and seventh innings on close plays, UNH threw out a runner at the plate. In the C.W. Post fourth, following a single by Anthony Montesano to left field with a runner on second, UNH got the third out at the plate as Rombilus threw home on the relay from Rozum. In the top of the seventh, also on a single to left field, catcher Moras initially bobbled the throw from the outfield, but hung on to record the out, keeping C.W. Post off the scoreboard.
Mitch Rossi came in to close the game for UNH. He struck out the only batter he faced for his second save of the day and fifth for the season.
