The Chargers had four games on the schedule this past week, with a mid-week matchup against the Sacred Heart University (SHU) Pioneers and a three-game home series against the Wagner University Seahawks.
New Haven took a hard loss against SHU, with the Pioneers jumping on the ball early as they put up four runs in the first inning. The Chargers chipped away at the deficit with one run in the top of the second, after a single from third baseman Joe Frazzetta brought in catcher Casey Cerruto. It was not long before Sacred Heart extended their lead after two big scoring innings, putting up seven runs in the third and four runs in the fourth, leaving the Chargers down by 14 runs going into the fifth. New Haven tried to answer back with an RBI single from Cerruto and a sac fly RBI from designated hitter Jake Russo. They couldn’t keep the offense moving, and the Pioneers added their final run of the game to end the match, 16-3.
After a tough loss on Wednesday, the Chargers needed to get back in the win column. It was a back-and-forth game, but New Haven ultimately took the victory after 10 innings of play. Wagner started the scoring in Friday’s game after Dylan Immel was hit by a pitch with bases loaded. The Chargers answered back quickly, putting up three runs in the bottom of the first. Cerruto reached on an error to bring in left fielder Jaylin Manon, followed by an RBI double from center fielder Nick Ungania that brought in Russo. First baseman Cam McGugan then lined out to center field, which brought Cerruto home and gave the Chargers a two-run lead. The Seahawks tied it in the top of the second, scoring two runs after a walk with bases loaded and a fielder’s choice. New Haven second baseman Mike Christian brought home Ungania off a single to the right side in the third inning, tying the game at three.
The Seahawks took the lead back in the fourth, and extended it further in the fifth, scoring two runs in both innings while the Chargers couldn’t find a groove offensively. New Haven chipped away at the deficit in the sixth, after Cerruto singled to right field and brought Russo in. Down by two, the Chargers had a huge eighth inning, taking an 8-7 lead after RBI singles from Frazzetta and McGugan, and a run by Ungania off an error by the Seahawks’ right fielder. Wagner tied it back in the top of the ninth, and the Chargers were unable to walk it off before extra innings. New Haven held the Seahawks in the tenth, giving the Chargers another chance for a walk-off win. McGugan started the two-out rally with a single to left field and then advanced to second on a wild pitch, leaving the winning running in scoring position as Frazzetta stepped up to the plate and was intentionally walked by Wagner. With two on and two out, Christian drew a walk to load the bases and bring up shortstop Aedan Forde, who drew another walk to bring home McGugan for the 9-8 victory.
Game two of the series saw a similar pattern, with both teams trading runs throughout nine innings. The Seahawks started strong with three runs in the top of the first, quickly answered by right fielder Shaun Callahan, who hit a two-run home run to bring in Manson. Both teams traded two runs each in the second inning, with Wagner leading by one going into the third. New Haven took the lead in the third off a two-RBI single from Forde. The Seahawks took the lead back in the fourth, but the score was once again tied after Cerruto brought in Russo. After an offensive battle throughout the first half of the game left the score tied at seven, both teams kicked up the defense, and the next four innings of the game went scoreless. It was the ninth inning when Wagner took a one-run lead, giving the Chargers their third chance at a walk off on the weekend. New Haven was successful, with McGugan’s RBI single bringing Callahan in for the tying run, followed by Frazzetta’s walk-off RBI single that brought Ungania home, finalizing the score at 9-8.
New Haven went into game three looking for their first Division I sweep in the NEC conference, but could not bring it home and fell short, 14-5. It looked good for the Chargers early on after McGugan scored on an error, followed by two RBIs from Callahan and one from Cerruto. The Seahawks answered quickly and scored four runs of their own in the top of the fourth, taking back a one-run lead. Russo was able to tie the game at five after a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. That would be the end of the scoring for New Haven, but Wagner did not step off the gas and added nine total runs in the final four innings of the series.
After the split week, the Chargers have an overall record of 3-16 and 3-6 in conference play. The baseball team will return to action on Tuesday against Stony Brook University, followed by a three-game series against Mercyhurst University. For more information visit NewHavenChargers.com.
