Baseball Drops Series Opener at Bryant, 4-3

The Central Connecticut baseball team dropped the series opener at Bryant on Friday, 4-3.  With the loss the Blue Devils are now 10-10 overall and 2-3 in Northeast Conference play.  Bryant improves to 20-9 and is 1-0 in NEC action.  The two teams will return to action on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

After a scoreless first inning the Blue Devils took a 1-0 lead with a single run in the top of the second inning.  Senior Josh Ingham singled to lead off the inning and went to third on a double from junior Dominic Severino.  He scored on an RBI groundout from sophomore catcher Connor Fitzsimons.

The Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning when Jordan Mountford hit a two-run home run off of Blue Devil starter Tom Coughlin.  The runs snaped a 21-inning scoreless streak for Coughlin.  The lead reached 3-1 in the bottom of the third on an RBI double from John Mullen.

The score remained 3-1 until the top of the seventh inning.  Ingham tripled to lead off the inning and then scored on an RBI single from Severino, cutting the lead in half. 

The Bulldogs got the run back in the bottom of the inning, pushing the lead back to two, 4-2.  With one out a sacrifice fly from Robby Rinn scored the fourth run of the game for the home team.

Central added a run in the top of the ninth but it scored a double play and the Blue Devils could get no closer than 4-3.  With runners on first and second with no outs the double play scored the run but cleared the bases.

Coughlin went seven innings and gave up four earned runs on five hits.  The loss was just his second of the season and snapped a personal three-game winning streak.

Ingham finished the day 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.  Severino was 3-for-3 and reached base in all four plate appearances.  He drove in a run and walked once. 

The Blue Devils and Bulldogs will continue the weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. in Smithfield.