Baseball Takes Two From Wagner on Friday
Blue Devils and Seahawks will play a single game on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Central Connecticut baseball team won a pair of Northeast Conference games at home vs. Wagner on Friday afternoon. Central won the first 8-2, and needed extra-innings to win the second 2-1. With the wins the Blue Devils are now 16-15 overall and 7-7 in NEC play. Wagner is now 12-25 overall and 5-5 in league action.
In game one the Blue Devils scored an unearned run in the first to take a 1-0 lead. With two outs senior Anthony Turgeon singled. The then stole second base and scored when the throw went into center field and by the Seahawk fielder, leading to the run.
Wagner tied it 1-1 on a sacrifice fly from Zack Yesko in the top of the second. A solo home run from Chris Smith gave the Seahawks a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning.
The Blue Devils tied the game 2-2 on a sacrifice fly from junior Dominic Severino in the bottom of the fourth. Turgeon scored his second run of the game after leading of the inning with his second hit.
Central took the 4-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Turgeon drove in his first run of the game with his third hit, and then freshman Pat Sirois singled up the middle to score Turgeon for the two-run lead.
Two more runs in the seventh made it 6-2. A triple from senior J.P. Sportman scored junior Bryan Rivera and then Sportman scored on a sacrifice fly from freshman Franklin Jennings. Freshman Jake Patton's pinch-hit two-RBI triple made it 8-2 in the eighth inning.
Senior Tom Coughlin got the start in game one but didn't factor in the decision. He pitched five innings allowing just two runs on two hits while striking out two. He walked three and hit a pair of Wagner hitters. Senior Anthony Mannuccia pitched the final four innings to earn his first victory of the season. He didn't allow a run and struck out three batters.
In game two it was scoreless until a sacrifice fly from John Lynn gave Wagner the 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh inning. Central tied it in the bottom of the inning with an unearned run. With runners at the corners a fielder's choice from Sportman scored the run and tied the game.
In the bottom of the ninth freshman Bryan Rivera doubled to left center with one out and then scored on a game-winning single from Sportman. Sportman drove in both runs in the win. Rivera had three hits.
Senior Nick Neumann pitched all nine innings for the Blue Devils to improve to 3-3 on the season. He allowed just one run on six hits while striking out five. He did not walk a batter but hit one. Neumann allowed only two runners to reach second base.
The two teams will continue the weekend series on Saturday with a single seven-inning game at 1 p.m. The series will conclude on Sunday with a nine-inning game at 1 p.m.