Baseball Splits With Long Island and Claims Second Seed in Next Week's NEC Tournament

Senior Richie Tri drove in three runs in the first game of a doubleheader as the Central Connecticut State University baseball team split with Long Island on Saturday. Tri's walk-off single in the eighth inning of game one gave Central the 5-4 extra inning win. Long Island rebounded for a 11-1 win in the second game. Central is now 17-14 in league play, and will be the second seed in next week's NEC Tournament in New Jersey. They finish the regular season on Sunday with a single game vs. the Blackbirds at 1 p.m.

In the first game, senior Richie Tri drove in three runs, including the game-winner, as Central came back from a 4-0 deficit to win 5-4 in eight innings.

Long Island struck first for the second straight day, scoring a single run in the top of the first inning. Drew Walsh drove in Gerard Tingos with a single and one out in the inning.

The lead reached 4-0 in the third inning. Tyler Jones drove in a run on a double and Walsh drove in his second run of the game with a single up the middle. A third run scored on a wild pitch. Central got on the board when sophomore Mitch Wells drove in a run on a single up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the inning. The score was 4-1.

The Blue Devils scored twice in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-3. Senior Richie Tri tripled home a run and Wells drove in his second run of the game to cut the Blackbird lead to 4-3. They tied it up when Tri walked with the bases loaded in the sixth to make it 4-4.

Tri's third RBI gave the Blue Devils the win in the bottom of the eighth inning. It was the second walk-off win of the series for Central.

In the second game, the Blackbirds took the lead for the third straight game with a single run in the top of the first inning. Central tied it at 1-1 on an RBI groundout from junior Pat Epps in the bottom of the inning.

Long Island scored twice in the second and three more times in the third to take a 6-1 lead. They scored another in the fourth, making it 7-1. Drew Walsh drove in a run with a single in the sixth as LIU plated four more runs to take an 11-1 lead.

The Blue Devils and Blackbirds will finish the weekend series tomorrow with a single game beginning at 1 p.m. Prior to the game the Blue Devils will honor their senior class, playing their final game at home for Central.