SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Four pitchers scattered eight hits and Zach Collett (Westbrook, Maine/Westbrook) and Nick Nunziato (Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) each homered to lead the University of New Haven baseball team past host American International, 9-0, on Friday afternoon at AIC Park. The win was the sixth-straight triumph for the Chargers.
With its third shutout win of the season, New Haven moves to 12-4 overall, 6-0 in Northeast-10 play and 2-0 against NE-10 Southwest Division competition.
Collett and Nunziato were two of five Chargers with two hits in the game, as UNH totaled 13 knocks against Yellow Jacket pitching. Stephen Clout (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern), #Brendan O’Reilly and Andrew Johnson# also had a pair of hits apiece. Collett’s roundtripper was a two-run shot, Nunziato’s drove in three runs and Chris DeMorais (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) added an RBI as well. New Haven also scored on a steal of home by O’Reilly and benefitted from seven AIC errors.
Southpaw Joey Royer (Westbrook, Maine/Cheverus) started the game on the mound and worked two scoreless frames before being relieved by Henry Hirsch (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale). The right-hander struck out nine batters and ceded just three hits in five frames out of the bullpen to earn the win and move to 2-1. Right-handers #John Melville and Derek Drag# each tossed an inning to complete the shutout.
New Haven pitching has now worked 29 innings since last issuing a walk and 32.2 frames since its last non-intentional free pass.
The Chargers started the scoring with a pair of two-out runs in the top of the first inning. Clout led off the game with a single and, two batters later, O’Reilly followed with a base knock. An AIC throwing error extended the inning and allowed Clout to score, and another defensive miscue loaded the bases. During the next at-bat, O’Reilly took off for home and beat the throw to steal a second UNH run in the frame.
Joe Romanelli (Baldwin, N.Y./Holy Trinity) singled with one out in the third frame to keep his recent hot streak alive, and stole second base. The senior catcher was then able to trot the rest of the way home as Collett’s second home run of the spring extended the New Haven lead to 4-0.
As Charger pitching continued to post zeroes, the visitors extended their lead in the top of the fifth. O’Reilly legged out a bunt single to open the stanza and moved into scoring position on a passed ball. DeMorais, who is now riding a six-game hitting streak, followed with a ground-rule double to run the margin to 5-0.
Yellow Jackets’ right-hander Spencer Prusack was greeted rudely in relief in the top of the eighth inning. Johnson and Collett roped back-to-back singles to begin the frame and Nunziato brought everybody home with a three-run shot to right field – the freshman shortstop’s second of the season.
An unearned run in the top of the ninth inning capped the scoring. Pinch hitter Tim Geer (Derby, Conn./Derby) worked a one-out walk and hustled around to third base on a throwing error with two outs in the inning. Another AIC fielding error on a groundball hit by Johnson allowed Geer to score and push the margin to its final of 9-0.
Daniel Guerrero took the loss for AIC to drop to 1-2. The righty ceded five runs (three earned) on 10 hits in seven innings. He struck out six batters and did not issue a walk.
