Central Baseball Drops 12-11 Decision to Hartford as Blue Devils Open New Field

The Central Connecticut baseball team opened up its new state-of-the-art turf baseball field with a 12-11 loss to Hartford on Tuesday afternoon. The Blue Devils, playing for the first time on campus since 2007, fall to 0-4 on the season with the loss. Hartford improves to 1-0 with the win. Junior Normand Gosselin had four hits and drove in three runs for Central. They return to action this weekend with a three-game series at George Mason beginning on Friday.

Central got on the board first with a pair of two out runs in the bottom of the first inning. Gosselin and senior Tommy Meade each had RBI singles in the inning to give Central the 2-0 lead. Hartford scored a single run in the top of the second inning on a solo home run from Jared Canney.

The Blue Devils upped the lead to 4-1 with two more runs in the second inning. Senior Kyle Zarotney scored on a throwing error following a double by senior Richie Tri. Senior Anthony Scialdone drove in Tri with a double off the right center field fence to make it 4-1.

Central opened it up with a six-run fourth inning to take a 10-4 lead. Meade drove in two and senior Sean Allaire, Gosselin and sophomore Mitch Wells all had an RBI in the inning. The Blue Devils had five hits and a pair of walks in the inning, and sent 10 batters to the plate.

Hartford scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Blue Devil lead to 10-7. Gosselin's fourth hit and his third RBI in the bottom of the fifth inning made it 11-7. The Hawks scored four runs in the top of the seventh, including a bases clearing triple by Simon Kudernatsch, to tie the game at 11-11.

The Hawks took a 12-11 lead with a single run in the top of the ninth inning.

Gosselin finished the game with four hits and three RBI to lead Central. Meade added a pair of hits and three RBI while Tri had three hits to lead Central.

The Blue Devils return to action this weekend with a three-game series at George Mason. The teams will begin with a single nine-inning game on Friday beginning at 2:30 p.m.

FIRSTS AT THE NEW CCSU BASEBALL FIELD
First pitch: 2:26 p.m., Donny White (CCSU), Strike
First at-bat: Donny White (CCSU) strikes out Andrew Siano (Hartford) with no outs in first inning
First strikeout: Donny White (CCSU) strikes out Andrew Siano (Hartford) with no outs in first inning
First hit: Simon Kudernatsch (Hartford), single to center with one out in first inning
First double: Richie Tri (CCSU), doubled down right field line with one out in second inning
First triple: Andrew Siano (Hartford) tripled to center field with no outs in the top of the third inning
First home run: Jared Canney (Hartford), solo home run to left field with no outs in the top of the second inning
First RBI: Normand Gosselin (CCSU), RBI single with two outs in bottom of the first inning (drove in Anthony Scialdone)
First stolen base: Rodger Wilmot (Hartford), stole second with two outs in second inning
First run: Anthony Scialdone (CCSU), scores on RBI single with two outs in the first inning by Normand Gosselin (CCSU)