Junior Michael White was a combined 3-for-5 with four stolen bases this afternoon for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

Chargers collect two key NE-10 wins as Skyhawks struggles continue

Sophomore Jack Heary (Portland, Maine/Deering) paced the New Haven offense as he hit a combined 4-for-7 with a double, three RBI and three stolen bases. Freshman Brendon Buckley (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) went a combined 4-for-7 with three runs scored, a double, stolen base and two RBI. Sophomore Shane O'Connell (Cranston, R.I./Cranston West) chipped in with five RBI on the afternoon.

Junior Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) led Stonehill by going a combined 3-for-5 with three walks, four stolen bases, a double, two runs scored and an RBI on the afternoon. He also pitched well in defeat in game one for the Skyhawks. Senior Angelo Bruno (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) chipped in with four RBI.

New Haven rallied with three runs in the sixth inning to claim a 5-3 victory in game one.

Jack Heary was 3-for-4 with a double, stolen base and three RBI to lead the way for New Haven. Junior Ryan Brockett (Guilford, Conn./Guilford) was 2-for-4 with a stolen base and run scored, while Brendon Buckley went 1-for-3 with a double, RBI and two runs scored. Shane O'Connell finished 1-for-4 with a stolen base, RBI and run scored.

Junior righthander Eric Peck (East Hampton, Conn./East Hampton) picked up the win (4-3) in relief for the Chargers, retiring both batters he faced after taking over for starter Henry Hirsch (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale). The freshman righthander allowed three runs, just one earned, on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts over 5.1 innings. Senior Mitch Rossi (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Central) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings for his first of two saves on the afternoon, striking out one and walking one.

Freshman William Karalis (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Feehan) led Stonehill as he hit 2-for-3 with a double, triple, stolen base, RBI and run scored. Sophomore Michael Zeiner (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) went 2-for-3, while senior Scott Hackett (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) batted 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.

Freshman Billy Karalis was 2-for-3 with a double, triple, stolen base and RBI in game one.

Michael White took the loss (3-3), allowing five runs, three earned, on seven hits with five strikeouts and a walk over seven innings. He retired the first ten batters he faced in the outing as Stonehill opened a 3-1 lead in the sixth, scattering two hits over the first five innings.

Stonehill opened the scoring with a two-run second inning. Hackett led off with a single through the left side and scored on a two out triple down the rightfield line by Karalis. Sophomore James DeAlto (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Briarcliff) drove in Karalis when he reached on an error on what should have been the final out of the inning.

New Haven got a run back in the fourth when Buckley reached on an error with one out for the Chargers first base runner of the game against White and scored on a two-out single through the right side by Heary. Stonehill got that run back in the sixth as White drew a leadoff walk, stole second and reached third on an error by the UNH catcher, before scoring a sacrifice fly to right by Hackett.

New Haven rallied with three runs in the home half of the sixth to take the lead. Buckley sparked the inning with a one out double and scored on a single to right center by O'Connell. Heary put the Chargers in front with a two run single. New Haven added an insurance run in the seventh with a squeeze bunt from Buckley.

New Haven scored three in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull out an 8-5 win over New Haven to complete the sweep.

Senior Angelo Bruno hit 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in game two (PHOTO by Richard Orr)

Shane O'Connell paced New Haven as he hit 2-for-4 with a double, four stolen bases, four RBI and a run scored. Brendon Buckley batted 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, while senior Tom Rombilus (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Junior David Wirkus (Orange, Conn./Fairfield Prep) finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored.

Eric Peck picked up his second relief win (5-3) of the day on the mound for the Chargers, working around a walk in a scoreless inning of relief with three strikeouts. Mitch Rossi notched his second save (11) of the afternoon with a perfect ninth.

Angelo Bruno led the way for Stonehill by hitting 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. Michael White finished 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, a double, RBI and run scored, while senior Nick Nardacci (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) batted 1-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored.

Junior lefthander Michael Von Stein (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) took the loss (5-1) in relief for the Skyhawks, surrendering an earned run on a walk with a strikeout in two thirds of an inning. Senior Alex McCormick (Weymouth, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) started and yielded five runs, three earned, on ten hits with four strikeouts and two walks over 5.2 innings.

Stonehill jumped in front with two in the first. White drew a two out walk and then stole second and third before Bruno belted his seventh home run of the season. New Haven got a run back in the home half of the first as Buckley singled with one out and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by O'Connell. The Chargers took their first lead with a four-run second keyed by RBI singles from Buckley and O'Connell.

Stonehill closed within a run with two in the third when White and Bruno both delivered RBI singles. The Skyhawks drew even in the fifth when Nardacci singled with one out, advanced to third on White's double to left center, and scored on a Bruno groundout.

New Haven took the lead for good in the eighth with three runs off Von Stein and senior righthander Brenden Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet). O'Connell put the Chargers in front with a two run double and then scored an insurance run on a single up the middle by Wirkus.