Epps Hits Home Runs No. 11 and 12 as Blue Devils Win on Road at Fairfield

Junior Pat Epps hit his 11th and 12th home runs of the season as the Central Connecticut State University baseball team put on an offensive show for the second straight day in a 21-9 win on the road at Fairfield on Wednesday. The 12 home runs for Epps are the second-highest single season total in school history. Central takes to the road beginning on Friday at Mount St. Mary's in an important Northeast Conference series beginning at 3 p.m. They are now 21-16 overall this season.

Central wasted little time taking control of the game, scoring eight runs on seven hits and a pair of Fairfield errors in the top of the first inning. The Blue Devils sent 14 men to the plate in the inning. Junior Sean Miller-Jones was hit by a pitch to lead things off. With one out, senior Anthony Scialdone and Epps singled to load the bases. Senior Tommy Meade doubled to score two runs, followed by a two-RBI double from sophomore Mitch Wells. Senior Richie Tri doubled to left field to score Wells, making it 5-0. With the bases loaded again, following a walk and an error, Miller-Jones singled in a run, followed by a sacrifice fly by senior Sean Allaire. Scialdone had an RBI single to complete the scoring.

The Stags scored five runs in the first four innings to cut the Blue Devil lead to 9-5. In the top of the fourth Epps hit his 11th home run of the season. In the fifth inning he hit his 12th, as the Blue Devils scored eight more runs to open it up and take a 17-5 lead. Epps hit a three-run home run, and Meade hit a solo shot in the inning. Scialdone also drove in two runs. Tri and sophomore Danny Hickey drove in a run in the inning.

Four more runs in the seventh gave the Blue Devils 21 runs in the victory. Scialdone drove in two more and Allaire had a two-RBI double in the inning.

Epps finished the game 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI. His 12 home runs on the season is the second-highest total in school history. Jamie Palmese hit 16 home runs in 1997.

Central had 21 hits and has 40 in just two games so far this week. Allaire, Scialdone and Meade each drove in three runs. Scialdone had four hits. Meade hit his eighth home run in the game.

The Blue Devils hit three home runs in the game, giving them 41 on the year, tying a school record that was set during the 1997 season and reached again in 1998.

The Blue Devils return to action on Friday at Mount St. Mary's in the first game of a weekend Northeast Conference series, beginning at 3 p.m.