Box Score

NEW YORK, N.Y. – For the second consecutive day, the Southern Connecticut State University baseball team defeated Pace University. On Thursday, Southern claimed a 5-0 win over the Setters at Finnerty Field. Steve Simon (Middlefield, Conn.) threw a complete game shutout to earn his third win of the season. He allowed just three hits, walked one batter and struck out seven. The Owls are now 8-4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Northeast-10 Conference. With the loss, Pace is now 3-8 overall and 0-2 in the NE-10.

Thursday's matchup was a defensive showdown for the most part and was scoreless through five until Southern eventually took the lead in the top of the sixth. With the bases loaded, Eric Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) singled to left field driving in Ryan Geffert (Plymouth, Pa.) and #A.J. Rouleau# (Westborough, Mass.).The next batter, Michael Cleary (West Boylston, Mass.), connected for a double to increase the Owls lead by three, however Schlitter was thrown out on the play to end the inning. All three runs came with two outs.

The Owls would add two more runs in the top of the eighth on a double by Jordan Hockenberry (Glastonbury, Conn.). Cleary and Nick DeProspo (Worcester, Mass.) scored on the play to put the Owls ahead, 5-0.

Cleary went 2-for-4 on the day with a double, a RBI and a run scored. He has now hit safely in 11 of the team's first 13 games. Hockenberry added two hits as well and walked once. Both hits were doubles as he recorded 2 RBI. Schlitter also drove in 2 RBI on Thursday as he went 1-for-3 and walked once and DeProspo went 1-for-2, walked once, scored twice and stole two bases to round out the top performers.

The Owls head to Lowell, Mass. for a doubleheader against UMass Lowell on Saturday, March 20. The first pitch is scheduled to be tossed at 12 p.m.