NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Saint Michael's College baseball team split regionally-ranked Southern Connecticut State University to open Northeast-10 Conference play on Saturday in the Ballpark at SCSU. The Purple Knights took the first contest, 7-4, before losing a 12-1 outing in seven innings. The Owls were seventh in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) East Region poll.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (2-10, 1-1 NE10), Southern Connecticut State (11-5, 1-1 NE10)

DOUBLEHEADER FACTS

• Sophomore Chris Robinson (Williston, Vt./Champlain Valley Union) earned his first college win in the opener.
• The Purple Knights defeated the Owls for the first time.

GAME 1
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Senior Max Kolifrath (Millbury, Mass./Millbury), 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 2 2B
• Sophomore Trevor Arsenault (Websterville, Vt./Spaulding), 1-for-2, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HR, 1 SF
• Sophomore Jack Pattison (Vernon, Vt./Vermont Academy), 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 SB, 1 HP
• First-year Jerry Guzman (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Brunswick School), 3-for-5, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 2B; 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K in relief, save
• Sophomore Chris Robinson (Williston, Vt./Champlain Valley Union), 2.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K in relief, win
• Junior Colin Burke (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan), 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K in relief

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Graduate student Izaiah Walker, 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 HP
• Sophomore Jake Chacho, 4-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 2B
• Graduate student Spencer Fox, 4 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, loss

THE ACTION

• Pattison scored an unearned run with two out in the first inning before Chacho knocked a tying RBI single in the second and the go-ahead run scored on an error.
• Guzman's two-out, two-run double in the third put the Purple Knights ahead for good, and Arsenault's solo home run extended the lead to 4-2 in the fourth inning.
• After the Owls scored a run on a wild pitch in the home half, Saint Michael's plated two more runs in the fifth, with Guzman hitting an RBI single before scoring on Arsenault's sac fly.
• Chacho's RBI double in the fifth made it a 6-4 ballgame, but Kolifrath's two-out RBI double in the eighth provided insurance.
• Chacho doubled with one out in the ninth, but Guzman entered to retire the final two batters, including the last hitter swinging on strikes, to clinch the win.

GAME 2
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Pattison, 2-for-4
• Senior Evan Balian (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield), 2-for-3, 1 RBI
• Senior Terence Moynihan (Stoneham, Mass./Saint Mary's), 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 BB
• Junior Keegan Burke (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan), 5.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, loss

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Graduate student Patrick Dillon, 1-for-2, 3 RBI, 1 2B, 1 SAC, 1 SF
• Graduate student Jack Drewry, 1-for-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
• Senior Jake Gruttadauria, 3-for-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB
• First-year Jace Alvino, 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

THE ACTION

• Keegan Burke carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning, when the Owls scored a pair of runs on an error to take a 2-0 lead.
• Balian's two-out RBI knock made it 2-1 in the fifth frame.
• Southern Connecticut State put the game out of reach with a 10-run sixth inning, with Gruttadauria's two-run single and Dillon's two-run double among three two-run hits.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Sunday at University of New Haven, 12 p.m. doubleheader.
• The Chargers were fourth in this week's NCBWA East Region poll.