(04-30-08)
Box Score
WEST HAVEN, Conn. -- Christopher Brown and Joe Cotone each drove in a pair of runs to lead the Pace University baseball team to a non-conference win over University of New Haven at Frank Vieira Field on Wednesday.
Pace (29-17) used a three-run seventh inning to break open a tie game and earn the victory, getting some help from a throwing error by UNH (19-22) on a sac bunt.
UNH starter Vince Lehman (photo) finished five innings but left with no outs in the sixth with J.J. Conrad on first (walk), and a 2-0 count on Andre Liscinsky. Dan Johnson got out of the sixth inning, a throwing error by reliever Brendan Burke led to an unearned run in the seventh and helped fuel the three-run rally.
Johnson walked Matt Rigoli and Jack Cawley, then gave way to Burke. Burke fielded Vinny Dammann's sacrifice bunt along the third base line and went for the forceout at third, but threw the ball away, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Mike Aquilino came in to relieve Burke, but gave up a two-run single to Christopher Brown to close out the Pace scoring.
Mike Sciarretta picked up his fourth save of the season for Pace after he got himself into and out of a jam in the bottom of the eighth, UNH's best and last chance to tie the contest. He walked Evan Okon, hit Dan Rosa with a pitch and then walked Michael Moras to load the bases. But Sciarretta recovered to strike out Adam Rozum and Kyle Donnelly swinging, then got Chad Lemos looking to end the threat.
Pace started the scoring with two runs in the top of the second off Lehman. Cawley led off with a double to center, and then following a pair of outs, Brown was hit by a pitch. Cotone then doubled to deep left center to plate both runs. UNH got one back in the third. Kyle Bombace was hit by a pitch and Tom Rombilus sacrificed him to second. Okon then singled to left center to make it a 2-1 game.
The Chargers tied the game with two outs in the fifth. Okon fouled off four pitches from starter Salvatore DePaola before drawing a full-count walk. He then stole second and moved to third on a passed ball, and Rosa followed with a double hit deep down the left field line to tie the contest.
UNH left eight men on base in the contest, which featured only six hits between the two teams. UNH's Alex Smith and Mitch Rossi both pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Sciarretta went two innings for Pace's save, striking out three Charger batters.
UNH will host Bridgeport on Thursday beginning at 3:00 p.m. in a makeup game from a rainout on Tuesday. UB will serve as the home game on the scoreboard, as the contest was originally scheduled to be played at Harbor Yard.
