Baseball Stays Alive in Northeast Conference Tournament with 2-1 Win Over Long Island

The Central Connecticut baseball team stayed alive in the 2011 Northeast Conference baseball tournament with a 2-1 win over Long Island on Saturday afternoon. Senior Sean Miller-Jones and freshman Anthony Turgeon each had an RBI in the victory as Central allowed two or fewer runs for the second straight day. They will advance to play Monmouth on Sunday at 12 p.m.

With the victory the Blue Devils improve 26-24-1 overall on the season. Long Island ends its season with a 28-23 record.

Long Island threatened in the top of the third inning. With a man on second, the Blackbirds singled up the middle, but the runner was thrown out at the plate by junior center fielder Jake Matuszak.

The Blackbirds put runners on first and second with just one out in the sixth, but a strikeout by Krasnowiecki and a strong defensive stop at third base by junior Mitch Wells ended the threat.

Central scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Pat Epps led off with a hard single back to Long Island pitcher Matt McCormick. He went to second on a sacrifice bunt from J.P. Sportman, and a single up the middle from Turgeon put runners on first and third. Miller-Jones singled through the left side to score the first run of the game and make it 1-0.

WATCH MILLER-JONES SINGLE IN THE RUN IN THE SEVENTH INNING

Central senior lefty Dave Krasnowiecki walked the first batter of the eighth inning and was relieved by sophomore Todd Savatsky. The Blackbirds put runners on first and second after a second walk, a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk loaded the bases. A fielding error by the Blue Devils scored a run and tied the game at 1-1. A 1-2-3 double play ended the inning with the score tied. Krasnowiecki went seven innings allowing a run and just six hits.

Freshman Dylan DelaCruz singled to lead off the bottom of the eighth, and went to second when Wells flew out to left field. With the bases loaded following an intentional walk and a single from Sportman, Turgeon was hit by a pitch to score the winning run, making it 2-1. Following a fly out to right field, Epps was thrown out at the plate trying to score to end the inning.

Savatsky got the win pitching the final two innings without allowing a run. He is now 7-4 on the season.