Junior Angelo Bruno hit a combined 2-for-6 with a double and two RBI this afternoon at Southern Connecticut. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

#23 Southern Connecticut Edges Stonehill Twice

Owls hold off Skyhawks rally for 4-3 win in game one, and then rally for 5-4 victory in 11 innings to complete sweep

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (April 17, 2010) – Southern Connecticut State University, ranked 23^rd in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II poll, squeaked out a pair of one-run victories to claim a doubleheader sweep of Stonehill College, ranked ninth in the NCBWA's Division II East Regional poll, in Northeast-10 Conference baseball action at The Ballpark at SCSU. Southern Connecticut picked up a 4-3 win in game one, before rallying for a 5-4 victory in 11 innings in game two.

Sophomore Ryan Geffert (Plymouth, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) led Southern Connecticut as he hit a combined 3-for-9 with three runs scored, a double, home run, stolen base and two RBI for the afternoon. Senior Greg Malen (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) hit 3-for-8 with a stolen base, while junior Nick DeProspo (Worcester, Mass./St. John's) chipped in with a double, triple, steal and RBI.

Junior Angelo Bruno (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) paced Stonehill on the afternoon as he hit a combined 2-for-6 with a double, run scored and two RBI. Senior Ryan Healey (Lynn, Mass./Lynn English) was 2-for-5, while classmate Mitch Davis (Bow, N.H./Bow) chipped in by hitting 3-for-10 with a double and two runs scored.

Southern Connecticut State 4, Stonehill 3 – Game 1
Boxscore

Southern Connecticut withstood a late Stonehill rally to claim a 4-3 victory in game one.

Junior Scott Hackett posted an RBI and run scored in game one. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

Ryan Geffert led the Southern offense, hitting 2-for-4 with a double, stolen base, run scored and RBI. Sophomore Eric Schlitter (Guilford, Conn./Guilford) was also 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and RBI, while Nick DeProspo batted 1-for-3 with a triple and RBI.

Sophomore righthander Ryan Yerina (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) collected the win (3-2) on the mound for the Owls, yielding three runs, just one earned, on three hits with six strikeouts and three walks in a complete game effort.

Sophomore lefthander Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) took the loss (3-1) on the mound for Stonehill, surrendering the four earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks over eight innings. He settled down after allowing four runs in the first three innings to retire 15 of the last 17 batters he faced, yielding just one hit after the third inning when the Owls scored their last runs.

Junior Scott Hackett (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) paced the Skyhawks offense, hitting 1-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Mitch Davis was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Southern staked out a 4-0 lead after three innings with a pair of runs in both the second and third innings. Sophomore A.J. Rouleau (Westborough, Mass./Westborough) was hit by a White pitch to lead off the inning and later scored on a ground out by freshman Michael Cleary (West Boylston, Mass./West Boylston) after Schlitter doubled down the rightfield line. DeProspo followed with a two-out triple that scored Schlitter. SCSU doubled its lead in the third on an RBI double to right center by Geffert, who later scored on a single to left by Schlitter.

Stonehill closed within a run with a three-run sixth. Senior Rob Von Stein (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) was hit by a pitch and Davis reached on an error before Hackett singled to center to drive in Von Stein, with Davis scoring when the ball got past the Southern Connecticut centerfielder. Angelo Bruno drove in Hackett with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Skyhawks put two base runners on in the eighth, but Yerina escaped the jam with a strikeout before retiring the side in order in the ninth to close out the win.

Southern Connecticut State 5, Stonehill 4 (11 innings) – Game 2
Boxscore

Junior Kyle Rosadino (Berwyn, Pa./Conestoga) drove in the winning run with a single to centerfield in the bottom of the 11^th to lift Southern Connecticut to a 5-4 victory in game two to complete the doubleheader sweep.

Rosadino, who finished 2-for-5 with a stolen base and two RBI, also drove in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. Sophomore Jordan Hockenberry (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) hit 3-for-3 with three doubles, a stolen base and run scored, while Ryan Geffert batted 1-for-5 with a home run, RBI and two runs scored. Greg Malen chipped in by going 3-for-5 with a stolen base.

Senior Mitch Davis has two hits, including a double, and a run scored in game two. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

Junior Michael Johnston (Thomaston, Conn./Thomaston) picked up the win (3-1) in relief for Southern, pitching two hitless and shutout innings, working around two walks with two strikeouts. Junior righthander Steve Simon (Middlefield, Conn./Coginchaug) started for the Owls and allowed four earned runs on ten hits with six strikeouts and no walks over nine innings.

Angelo Bruno was 2-for-5 with a double, run scored and RBI for Stonehill. Mitch Davis hit 2-for-6 with a double and run scored, while sophomore Michael Magnussen (Carver, Mass./Coyle & Cassidy) finished 1-for-2 with an RBI. Scott Hackett batted 1-for-5 with an RBI and run scored.

Junior Brenden Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) took the loss (2-2) for Stonehill, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with a strikeout and two walks over two-plus innings of relief. Sophomore Eric Haughn (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke) started for the Skyhawks and allowed three runs, just one earned, on four hits with a strikeout and walk over 5.1 innings. Junior Shane Penzone (Hudson, Mass./Hudson Catholic) and sophomore Michael Von Stein (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) combined for 2.2 innings of hitless relief.

Nick DeProspo led off the decisive 11^th with a double, advanced to third on a bunt single by Malen and then scored on Rosadino's single to center. Rosadino also drove in the tying run with a two out single to right in the ninth, scoring Michael Cleary who reached with a one-out walk and advanced to third on a single to right by Malen.

Stonehill had taken the lead for the second time in the top of the ninth when Shepard reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on a wild pitch. The Skyhawks struck first in the game with a two-run third on RBI singles from Hackett and Bruno.

Southern knotted the score with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth, taking advantage of three Stonehill errors. Geffert reached on an error to lead off the inning, later scoring when Hockenberry reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Hockenberry scored on a throwing error by the Stonehill catcher on a double-steal with DeProspo.

Geffert homered with two out in the fifth to put Southern Connecticut in front, but Stonehill answered in the top of the sixth as Bruno led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Magnussen.

Stonehill (15-13, 10-6 NE-10) is back in action tomorrow when it visits 24^th-ranked Adelphi University for a Northeast-10 doubleheader starting at noon. The makeup game from a rainout last month were scheduled to be played at Stonehill, but moved due to the inclement weather forecast for the area. The Skyhawks return home on Tuesday to host Franklin Pierce University at 3:30 p.m. Southern Connecticut State (27-8-1, 16-4 NE-10) visits Concordia College on Monday for a non-conference matchup at 3:30 p.m.