Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – It took eleven innings but a late rally by the No. 23 ranked Southern Connecticut State University baseball team helped the Owls sweep Stonehill during Saturday's doubleheader by the scores of 4-3 and 5-4. Kyle Rosadino's (Berwyn, Pa.) single to center field in the 11th inning drove in the go-ahead run in game two while Ryan Yerina's (Trumbull, Conn.) complete game effort helped Southern take game one. Yerina allowed just three hits, three runs (two unearned) and had a no-hitter through five and a third innings as he shut down Stonehill's offense.

With the sweep, the Owls are now 27-8-1 overall with a conference-best mark of 16-4. Stonehill falls to 15-13 and 10-6.

Southern took an early 2-0 lead after the second. #A.J. Rouleau# (Westborough, Mass.) got on base after getting hit by the pitch in the first at-bat and advanced to third on a double down the right field line by Eric Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.). Michael Cleary (West Boylston, Mass.) brought in the first run for the Owls with an infield ground out and a RBI triple to right field from Nick DeProspo (Worcester, Mass.) drove in Schlitter as the Owls went ahead 2-0.

Southern added two more in the bottom of the third. Matt Pessy (Greenwich, Conn.) started it off with a single to right field and crossed home plate with a double by Ryan Geffert (Plymouth, Pa.). Geffert later advanced to third and a single by Schlitter brought in the Owls fourth run of the game.

Stonehill cut the deficit to one after scoring three unearned runs in the top of the sixth. However, the Owls maintained their composure and took game one by the score of 4-3. Geffert and Schlitter each went 2-for-4 from the plate with a RBI and a run scored and DeProspo and Pessy both added a hit for the Owls.

Game two went back and forth throughout as neither team could pull away. Stonehill jumped on the board first by scoring two runs in the top of the third. The Owls would come right back in the fourth as Jordan Hockenberry's (Glastonbury, Conn.) sacrifice bunt brought Geffert across home. A couple at-bats later, Hockenberry stole third and a passed ball sent him in, to tie the game at 2-2.

In the fifth, Geffert hit his team-high eighth home run of the season to the opposite side of the field as Southern went ahead shortly.

The Skyhawks tied the game in the top of sixth and scored once again in the ninth to put Southern down one heading into the final inning. The Owls stepped up to the challenge and with one out remaining, Greg Malen (Stamford, Conn.) singled to right field and advanced Cleary to third, who walked during his at-bat. Rosadino then drove in the tying run with a RBI single to force extra innings.

Geffert almost won the game for Southern in the 10th but his would-be home run was snagged by left fielder Michael Magnussen who reached his glove above to the wall to take away the game winning run. The Owls would get another chance in the 11th though and would take advantage of the situation. DeProspo led the inning off with a double to left field, which was followed by a bunt by Malen who advanced the go-ahead run to third. Once again, Rosadino stepped to the plate with the game on the line and singled to center field as Southern would complete the sweep over Stonehill, 5-4.

Rosadino recorded two hits and two key RBI, Hockenberry went a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate with a RBI and run scored and Malen was 3-for-4 to lead the team offensively. Steve Simon (Middlefield, Conn.) started and went nine innings, surrendering four runs and striking out six. Michael Johnston (Thomaston, Conn.) recorded the win, entering the game in the 10th and did not allow a run or hit. He also got out of a jam in the top of the 11th with the bases loaded and two outs remaining.

Southern Connecticut returns to the field on April 19 for a non-conference match-up at Concordia.