Baseball Tops Rhode Island, 3-1
Freshman Brett Susi tossed five innings to earn his first career victory.
The Central Connecticut baseball team earned a 3-1 victory over Rhode Island on Wednesday afternoon in New Britain. Freshman Brett Susi tossed five innings to earn his first collegiate victory. The Blue Devils are now 7-7 on the season and will host Mount St. Mary's on Friday to open Northeast Conference play.
Making his first collegiate start, Susi tossed five innings and limited the Rams (4-19) to one run on four hits in his five innings of work. He struck out one and walked one, while facing just 21 batters.
Susi was followed by senior Nick Boyd, freshman Austin Salnitis, freshman Kevin Connolly and freshman Matt Blandino who each pitched one scoreless inning.
Boyd entered the game in the sixth after Susi allowed the first two batters to reach base. Boyd worked out of the jam by picking off the lead runner at second base. Sophomore catcher Connor Fitzsimons then threw out the trail runner trying to steal.
Salnitis pitched the seventh and Connolly the eighth to set up Blandino for his first career save. Blandino allowed the first batter to reach, but then recorded a pair of strikeouts and a fly out to end the game.
Offensively, the Blue Devils plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. First, freshman Franklin Jennings scored senior Anthony Turgeon with a single to center field and then with two outs senior Josh Ingham pushed in a run with a bunt single.
CCSU scored its final run in the eighth inning as Fitzsimons doubled to score junior Nick Coro who had led off the inning with a triple.
Jennings finished the game three-for-four at the plate, while Turgeon picked up two hits in four at bats.
The Blue Devils scored three runs on nine hits, while limiting the Rams to one run on seven hits.
CCSU will open NEC play against Mount St. Marys's this weekend. The Blue Devils will host the Mountaineers for a single game on Friday, a doubleheader Saturday and a single game on Sunday.