Baseball Wins Second Straight to Start the Season, 9-6, Over Navy

Senior catcher Sean Parker drove in four runs, including his first home run of the season, as the Central Connecticut baseball team topped Navy, 9-6, on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Devils are now 2-0 on the season after beating Iona 7-6 in extra innings earlier on Saturday. Central Connecticut will play two more games vs. Iona and Navy on Sunday.

The Blue Devils struck first for the second straight game to open the season. They put up a single run in the top of the first inning. Sean Allaire walked to lead off the game and went to second on a single by senior Casey Walko. Allaire scored on a two-out single by sophomore Pat Epps, his fourth hit of the day. He had three in the game one win over Iona.

The lead reached 2-0 in the top of the second inning when senior catcher Sean Parker doubled home junior Tommy Meade with two outs. Meade singled to lead off the inning and had reached second with his first stolen base of the season.

Navy added a run in the bottom of the second but the Blue Devils answered with two in the fourth, three in the fifth and two more in the sixth to take a 9-2 lead.

In the fourth freshman infielder Mitch Wells and Parker each drove in a run to make it 4-1. Navy scored a run in the bottom of the inning to cut it to 4-2.

Three runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-RBI single up the middle by senior Jay Schillaci, gave CCSU a 7-2 advantage. Epps also drove in his second run of the game in the inning for Central Connecticut.

Two more runs in the top of the sixth made it 9-2 in favor of the visitors. Parker hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot, to give CCSU the seven run lead.

Navy answered scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth and one more in the seventh to cut the lead to 9-6 in favor of the Blue Devils.

Senior lefty Derek Roberts pitched 5.1 innings for the Blue Devils allowing eight hits, five runs, four of them earned. He struck out three and walked three in his first start of the season. He picked up his first win of the season.

Junior righty Dan Markoya, pitching in his first game with the Blue Devils, picked up his first save of the season. He pitched 2.1 innings of shutout baseball allowing one hit while striking out three and walking two.

Parker led the offense with four runs batted in, including his first home run of the year. Schillaci had three hits and two RBI while Epps added two hits and a pair of RBI in the victory.

The Blue Devils will play two more games on Sunday. They will face Iona and Navy for the second straight day in Maryland.