West Haven, Conn. – The University of New Haven scored an unearned run in the eighth inning to record a 1-0 win over the Le Moyne College baseball team in the first round of the Northeast-10 Conference Championships on Wednesday afternoon at Frank Vieira Field. The Dolphins finish the season with a 19-23 record.
Neither team was able to record a hit until senior left fielder
Nate Reynolds (Johnson City, N.Y./Maine-Endwell) singled to center field with one out in the fourth inning, but he was then caught stealing to end the frame.
Redshirt freshman righty
Ryan O'Kane (Memphis, N.Y./Bishop Ludden) recorded 20 outs before allowing the first hit by the Chargers, a single through the left side by first baseman Zach Collett. O'Kane was able to strike out Brendan O'Reilly swinging to get out of the inning.
The Dolphins got consecutive walks from junior right fielder
Jeremy Mathers (Syracuse, N.Y./Henninger/Onondaga C.C.) and sophomore second baseman
Brett Charbonneau (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) to open the eighth inning. After a New Haven pitching change and a sacrifice bunt by sophomore first baseman
Pat Wright (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool), Frank Vilacha struck out the next batter and snared a line drive by Reynolds to get out of the jam.
The Chargers took advantage of two Le Moyne passed balls in the bottom of the eighth to score the game's only run. Catcher TJ Riccio struck out to start the frame, but reached first on a passed ball. After a pop out on a sacrifice bunt attempt and a fielder's choice, Northeast-10 Conference Co-Rookie of the Year Tom Walraven singled to right field to move right fielder Eddie Tammaro to third base. Tammaro then raced home on a passed ball on the first pitch to second baseman Andrew Johnson.
Junior southpaw
Ryan Davis (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) took the loss after giving up the unearned run in the eighth inning. O'Kane finished the game with six strikeouts and just one hit allowed over seven innings. Vilacha earned the win out of the bullpen after tossing two scoreless innings, while striking out two. Joey Royer yielded just three hits over the first seven innings for the Chargers.
