Box Score

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The first seed in the NCAA Division II Baseball East Region and No. 14 ranked Southern Connecticut State University baseball team tallied six runs in the final two innings n Thursday to pull ahead of the sixth seeded Dominican Chargers by the score of 8-4. The Owls trailed 4-2 heading into the seventh but notched three runs in the bottom half of the inning en route to a first round victory at historic Yale Field. Nick DeProspo (Worcester, Mass.) led the squad with a 2-for-4 performance from the plate, including four RBI, one run scored and one walk.

With the win, Southern is now 36-11-1 overall and will face the loser of game three between #4 Stonehill and #3 New Haven. Dominican drops to 28-17 and will play the loser of game two between #5 C.W. Post and #2 Franklin Pierce.

Both teams got on the board in the fourth inning to tally the first runs of the game as Dominican took a 1-0 lead after Dan Robinson scored an unearned run.

Southern came right back in the bottom half of the inning. #A.J. Rouleau# (Westborough, Mass.) hit a single through the left side of the infield to get things going. Bryan Dorsey (Cheshire, Conn.) then reached based on a fielder's choice as Rouleau advanced to second on a throwing error from Dominican's second baseman. Next batter, Jordan Hockenberry (Glastonbury, Conn.), singled to left field to drive in the tying run and Dorsey would later score in the inning on an error from the pitcher to go ahead, 2-1.

The Owls lead was short lived however, as Dominican put together three runs on five hits in the top of the fifth to take a 4-2 advantage.

In the bottom of the seventh, Greg Malen (Stamford, Conn.) singled to right field to reach base. The Owls then executed a hit-and-run perfectly as Kyle Rosadino (Berwyn, Pa.) hit a single to the right side of the infield as Malen advanced to third. With runners on first and third and two outs remaining, DeProspo doubled to left field to drive in Malen. Ryan Geffert (Plymouth, Pa.) hit another double to left field in the next at-bat, driving in the tying and go-ahead run as Southern took a one run lead, 5-4.

The Owls added some insurance in the bottom of the eighth with a two-out rally. With back-to-back singles from Michael Cleary (West Boylston, Mass.) and Malen, followed by a Rosadino walk, DeProspo stepped to the plate to hit a base clearing double as Southern took a four-run lead.

Michael Johnston (Thomaston, Conn.) entered the game in the eighth and threw two scoreless innings without allowing a hit to record his team-high fifth save of the season. Kevin Pettine (Somerset, Mass.) pitched two scoreless innings and allowed just two hits to record the win. He is now 5-2 on the season.

Todd Criag of Dominican was given the loss. He pitched seven innings, allowed three earned runs (five unearned) on eight hits and is now 8-3 on the season.

The Owls return to Yale Field tomorrow, Friday, May 14 and will face the game three loser between #4 Stonehill and #3 New Haven at 3 p.m.