Baseball Drops Doubleheader at Monmouth

The Central Connecticut baseball team dropped a doubleheader on the road at Monmouth on Saturday, losing the first game 4-3, and the second 2-1, in eight innings.  With the two losses Central drops to 9-10 overall on the season and 4-3 in Northeast Conference play.

In game one, the Blue Devils struck first with a pair of runs in the third inning and on more in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead.  In the third, senior Chris Renzoni walked and went to second on a sacrifice bunt from junior Josh Ingham.  Freshman Connor Fitzsimons singled to right field to score Renzoni, giving the Blue Devils the first run of the game.  Junior J.P. Sportman doubled to left center to score Fitzsimons with the second run of the inning.

In the fifth inning senior Nick Palmisano's sacrifice fly score Fitzsimons with an unearned run, making it 3-0.  He had singled to lead off the inning and went to third on a failed pickoff attempt.

The Hawks were scoreless until the sixth inning when they plated three runs to tie the game.  They loaded the bases with no outs against Central junior starter Nick Neumann.  The first run scored on a fielder's choice, and following a fly out, a fielding error was made by the Blue Devils to allow the second run to score, making it 3-2.   A single scored the third run to tie the game.  All three runs were charged to Neumann, but just one was earned.

The Blue Devils loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh inning but were unable to push a run across.  The Hawks scored the game-winner on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh.

Neumann pitched five innings allowing six hits and three runs while striking out three.  Sophomore Brendyn Karinchak picked up his first loss of the season pitching the last 1.1 innings and allowing the seventh inning run.

Sportman finished with a pair of hits and an RBI.  Fitzsimons had two hits, scored twice and added an RBI.

The Blue Devils struck first again in game two with a single run in the first inning.  Senior first baseman Tyler McIntyre singled in his first at bat, scoring Palmisano, to give Central the 1-0 lead.

Monmouth tied the game 1-1 with a single run in the bottom of the fourth inning.  The Hawks had three hits in the inning, including an RBI single, to the game against sophomore starter Cody Brown.

The game went to extra innings with the Hawks scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning.   Brown earned the loss pitching 7.1 innings and allowing just the two runs on nine hits and a pair of strikeouts.

McIntyre finished game two with two hits and an RBI.  Junior Anthony Turgeon also had a pair of hits.

The two teams will finish the weekend series with a single game on Saturday.