Epps Homers, Baseball Drops Doubleheader at Navy to Open 2011 Season

Senior Pat Epps homered and drove in two runs, but the Central Connecticut baseball team dropped a doubleheader at Navy on Saturday to open the 2011 season. Navy won the first game 3-2, before topping the Blue Devils 9-2 in the nightcap to complete the sweep. The two teams will play a single game on Sunday to complete the weekend series.

In the first game a pair of Blue Devil pitchers allowed just three hits to the Midshipmen, but an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth inning helped give the home team the 3-2 victory.

Sophomore Nick Neumann pitched five innings, allowing just three hits and two earned runs in his first outing of the season. He struck out four and did not factor in the decision. Junior Roy Natoli pitched the sixth and allowed the unearned run to pick up the loss. He is 0-1 on the season. The leadoff man reached on a fielding error by the Blue Devils, and was sacrificed to second. After moving to third on a groudout he scored on a wild pitch to provide the winning run.

The Blue Devils put two runs on the board in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead in the game. With men on second and third, freshman Anthony Turgeon's RBI groundout and an RBI single from junior Mitch Wells gave the visitors the early lead. Navy scored two in the fifth inning off of Neumann to tie the score.

In the second game Navy scored three runs in the second inning to take the early lead. The Blue Devils cut the lead to 3-2 on a two-run homer from Epps, his first of the season and the 26th of his career. He set a school-record with 18 last season, and his 26 is also a career mark for the Blue Devils.

Central would have just three hits in the second game and fell 9-2. Navy had 10 hits off four Blue Devil pitcher. Senior lefty Dave Krasnowiecki picked up the loss giving up three earned runs in four innings. He allowed just four hits and struck out one.

Central and Navy will complete the weekend series with a single nine-inning game on Sunday beginning at 12 p.m.