On Sunday, the Chargers hosted the Bentley Falcons at Frank Vieira Field. The team fought hard, but ultimately came up short by one run in both games.
Game one started with left-handed pitcher Liam Carroll on the mound for New Haven. Carroll threw 7.2 strong innings, giving up four hits and two runs. It was a slow start for both teams, with no runs scored over the first four innings.
The first run was scored by New Haven in the bottom of the fifth inning, after third baseman Joseph Frazzetta singled to right field and was brought home by second baseman Noah Budzik with an RBI single to right-center field.
The next two innings remained scoreless, until the Falcons took their first lead of the game in the top of the eighth inning. With one runner on base, pinch hitter Cory Bright drilled a two-run home run to give them a 2-1 lead.
The Chargers answered back immediately and tied the game in the bottom of the eighth. After an error put designated hitter Tyler Wells on base, a wild pitch advanced him to second. Another error by the Falcons’ second baseman Jackson Walonis scored Wells to tie up the game at two.
The game went into extra innings, as neither team struck again until the 11th inning. It was another home run that put the Falcons back in the lead, with a solo homer from third baseman Steve Rizzuto put Bentley back ahead by one.
The Chargers did not answer back in the bottom of the inning, ending the game with a 3-2 loss for New Haven. Right-handed pitcher Matthew Minio suffered the loss on the mound after he gave up the game-winning home run during his three innings of work while striking out three.
In game two, Bentley struck first with two runs in the top of the second inning. The first run came from a solo home run by first baseman Eddy Beauregard, followed by three consecutive singles, capped off with an RBI single from shortstop Tommy Bolton manufactured the second run.
The next two innings were scoreless until New Haven struck again in the bottom of the fifth inning. After walks from Wells and left fielder Owen Pincince, right fielder Shaun Callahan singled up the middle to score Wells. Frazzetta then reached on a fielder’s choice and brought in Pincince. With one runner on base, a triple from catcher Casey Cerruto brought in Frazzetta to take a 3-2 lead. After a pitching change from the Falcons with Cerruto on third base, Budzik scored Cerruto with a sacrifice fly to center field.
In the top of the sixth, New Haven brought in right-handed pitcher Jafar Vohra to relieve starter Michael Gatti, who gave up two runs on six hits and struck out two.
Bolton knocked in two more runs for the Falcons with a single to right-center that brought in two runs to tie the game at four. Bolton then scored to take the lead off of an RBI single from left fielder Nick Pappas. Neither team scored in the seventh, as the Chargers dropped another one-run game. Vohra suffered the loss for New Haven after he allowed three earned runs on three hits in less than an inning pitched.
Frazzetta and Budzik led at the plate in game one, both going 2-for-5 with Budzik earning New Haven’s only RBI. The Chargers only managed four hits in game two, with two of those coming from Callahan, who went 2-for-3 in game two. Cerruto and Wells earned the other two hits.
With the two losses, New Haven is 18-19 overall and 10-9 in the Northeast-10 Conference. For more information, visit NewHavenChargers.com.
