Box Score
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University baseball team scored a total of nine runs in the fifth and sixth inning to defeat cross-town rival the University of New Haven in a crucial Northeast-10 Conference showdown on Wednesday afternoon at The Ballpark at SCSU, 10-5. With today's win, Southern Connecticut improves to 12-22-1 and 4-7 on the season while New Haven falls to 14-17 and 4-7.



Senior Jason Harper (Saugus, Mass.) earned his fifth win of the year as the righty allowed three runs, five hits, three walks and six strikeouts over 6.0 innings on the mound. Freshman Quantique White (New London, Conn.) pitched the final three innings for the Owls and recorded two hits, two runs, a walk and three strikeouts.

As a team, Southern Connecticut finished the afternoon going 14-for-37 at the plate while redshirt freshman Nick Lamberti (East Haven, Conn.) recorded a team-high three RBI as well as tallied two hits and two runs. Besides Lamberti, five different players' registered two hits apiece while Mike DeMartino (New Haven, Conn.) and McNeill Finnegan (Old Saybrook, Conn.) collected a team-high two runs.

Following a scoreless first inning, New Haven struck first scoring two runs in the second and a run in the top of the third to take an early 3-0 lead over the Owls.

In the bottom of the fifth, bats came alive for Southern Connecticut as the Owls scored four runs on five hits to take their first lead of the game, 4-3. DeMartino began the rally with a single up the middle before juniors Greg Zullo (Branford, Conn.) and Kyle Hart (North Branford, Conn.) collected the first two outs of the inning. Finnegan managed kept the rally alive, despite the two quick outs, by advancing DeMartino to second after hitting a single to right field. Senior Jake DeRosa (North Haven, Conn.) scored the first run of the game for the home team as he doubled down the right field line, scoring DeMartino, before Lamberti drove in both Finnegan and McNeill to tie the game at 3-3. Junior Ethan Joyce (Exeter, N.H.) gave the Owls their first lead of the game as the shortstop singled to left, scoring Lamberti, 4-3.

Harper kept the Chargers at bay in the top of the sixth before the Owls tacked on five more runs in the bottom of the inning to take a commanding 9-3 lead. Once again, DeMartino began the sixth inning rally with a deep triple to right center after senior Jake Paul (Kingston, N.Y.) collected the first out of the frame. Zullo allowed DeMartino to cross home before a double to left by Hart allowed Zullo to come home, doubling the score, 6-3. With one out and a new pitcher on the mound, Southern Connecticut kept swinging the bat and scored another three runs thanks to a back-to-back singles from Finnegan and Lamberti as well as a double from Joyce.

New Haven broke its silence at the plate scoring two runs in the top of the seventh, cutting Southern Connecticut's lead to four, 9-5. The Owls added another insurance run in the following half inning after Jake Paul (Kingston, N.Y.) scored on a passed ball.

Solid pitching from White kept the Chargers from starting a rally in the final two innings and helped secure the home victory.
 
The Owls are back in action this weekend at American International.