Coming off a strong 2023 season with a record of 28-15 (10-10 NE-10), the New Haven baseball team kicked off their 2024 season in Myrtle Beach, S.C. with four games. After taking the season opener in a 6-1 win over Chestnut Hill College, the Chargers dropped the next three with a doubleheader loss to Wilmington University and a 9-4 loss to Post University.
Left-handed pitcher Liam Carroll got the start in game one on Friday against Chestnut Hill, coming away with the win after firing five innings, allowing six hits, no runs, one walk and striking out six.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the third inning when third baseman Joseph Frazzetta lined a double to left-center field which brought center fielder Nick Ungania around to score and gave the Chargers an early one-run lead. After a walk from right fielder Shaun Callahan, Frazzetta scored on an error by third baseman Justin Geiger to double the lead.
Left fielder Cole Maucere stretched New Haven’s lead to three in the seventh inning with a single to center field, which scored shortstop Kenneth Franquiz, who singled earlier in the inning and advanced to second on a passed ball. New Haven tacked on in the ninth with three more runs on a bases loaded walk from catcher Cam McGugan and a passed ball that allowed Maucere to score. The final run of the inning came on a wild pitch that scored Franquiz to take a 6-0 lead.
Right-handed pitcher Jake Zenger came in to close the game in the bottom of the ninth, but failed to get an out after allowing three hits and gave up Chestnut Hill’s only run. Closing pitcher Drew Silverman came on to get the last three outs and recorded them in order by striking out the side and giving New Haven the win.
New Haven faced off with Wilmington on Saturday for a doubleheader and lost both games by a respective score of 5-4 and 5-1. After falling behind 4-1 in game one, Franquiz drilled a three-run home run over the center field fence to tie the game at four in the top of the sixth inning. The game would remain scoreless until the bottom of the ninth when second baseman Erik Grady won the game for Wilmington with a walk-off single to center field and gave the Chargers their first loss of the year.
The Chargers lineup stalled in game two of the doubleheader as their only run of the game came off the bat of Maucere in the first inning with a solo home run that cleared the center field wall.
Designated hitter Jack McDonald carried Wilmington offensively in game two with two home runs. The Wildcats took the lead in the top of the second after a passed ball allowed third baseman Tyler Pirrung to score and first baseman Tristan Schoendienst brought two more around to score with a single to center field.
New Haven finished their weekend in S.C. on Sunday morning as they dropped their third game in a row with a loss to Post. The Chargers fell behind early as they trailed 4-0 in the third before Callahan cut the deficit to three in the fourth inning with a solo home run to center field. Budzik made it a two-run game after an RBI groundout that allowed second baseman Aedan Forde to score.
Post added an insurance run in the seventh before Maucere answered in the bottom of the inning with his second home run of the weekend to make it a 5-4 game. New Haven could not take the lead in the late innings as Post added four more runs to take a 9-4 lead that would hold until the end of the game.
On Saturday, March 2, the Chargers will play their home opener at Frank Vieira Field for a doubleheader when they take on Felician University. New Haven is coming off a strong season at home in 2023 in which they finished with a 10-8 record on their home field. For more information about upcoming games, please visit NewHavenChargers.com.
