Vermont 2, Stony Brook 0

Game One: BOX SCORE

Vermont 6, Stony Brook 3

Game Two: BOX SCORE

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Derek Miller hurled a three-hitter in the opener and Barry Chamberland homered for the fourth time in six games as Vermont swept Stony Brook, 2-0 and 6-3, in America East baseball at Centennial Field on Saturday afternoon.

Winners of 13 of their last 14, Vermont, in their first conference action, won three of four from Seawolves (19-11, 9-3 America East) who came into the weekend unbeaten in league play. The Catamounts, at 18-5, are off to their best start in coach Bill Currier’s 16 seasons at the helm.

In the opener Miller (3-1) struck out eight and walked two in tossing the first shutout of the season against Stony Brook, the top hitting team in the conference. He allowed a second inning single to Andrew Larsen (who drew the two SBU walks) and encountered his only trouble in the fourth. With one out, Matt Devins singled and advanced only to third on Mike Russo’s long single off the right field fence. Miller walked Larsen to load the bases but Ed Kull hit a scorching liner right at Cats’ third baseman Jay Iannoni, who forced Devins at the bag for an inning-ending double play.

In the bottom half of the fourth, Vermont, boosted by two SBU errors, gave Miller the offense he needed. With one out, Chamberland singled up the middle and went to third as the ball went through Larson to the warning track. Iannoni walked and then after Jason Carey’s perfect squeeze bunt scored Chamberland, Kull, the Stony Brook catcher, threw wild past first allowing Iannoni also to come home. James Szwejkowski (2-1), who also gave up just three hits, was the tough luck loser for the Brook.

The Catamounts, bolstered by another pair of errors, jumped on SBU starter Mike Restivo (4-1) for three runs in the first inning of the nightcap. Jeff Barry drew a one-out walk and moved to third on Restivo’s failed pickoff. He scored on a fielder’s choice by Chamberland (who reached on an error by Devins at short). With two outs, Carey tripled to right center and he came in on a wild pitch by Restivo.

The Seawolves took advantage of a two-out error to get two back in the second with the big hit a RBI double by Larsen. But UVM quickly made it 4-3 in their half as Bobby Tewksbary singled home Leif Ekelund who led with a double. The teams traded runs in the fourth as Stony Brook’s Lee Lipschutz led with his third homer of the year before in the botton, Ekelund’s sacrifice fly made it 5-3. Chamberland closed the scoring in the fifth with his sixth homer of the season, a solo shot to left field.

Jeff Dixon (2.2 innings, no hits, no walks, one K) came on in relief for Catamount starter Justin Bissonnette (4.1 IP, 7 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s) to improve to 6-0 on the season while lowering his America East best ERA to 0.71. Vermont’s team ERA, which entered the week the fifth best in the NCAA, also dropped on the day to 2.44.

Vermont next plays at Marist on Tuesday and hosts Plattsburgh State on Thursday in non-conference action. They return to America East play next weekend as Albany comes to Centennial Field for a four-game series.