Baseball Drops a Pair of Games at Wagner Saturday
The series concludes on Sunday with a single game scheduled for 1 p.m.
The Central Connecticut baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader against Wagner on Saturday afternoon at Richmond County Bank Ballpark in Staten Island, NY. The Seahawks took game one, 12-6, and downed the Blue Devils, 8-2, in the second game.
The losses dropped CCSU to 12-22 overall and 5-9 in Northeast Conference play, while Wagner improved to 18-15-1 overall and 7-3 in the NEC.
Game #1 CCSU 6, Wagner 12:
Central started off fast in the day's first contest, but the Wagner offense was too much too hold back.
Junior Connor Fitzsimons singled through the left side to get things started in the first inning and moved to second after senior Dominic Severino drew a walk. A single by junior Corey Lerche loaded the bases with one out, before junior Ian Glassman brought home the day's first run by drawing a walk. Freshman Mike Arman drove in Severino with a single to make it 2-0, but Wagner avoided further damage in the inning when they threw out a runner at home on an attempted sacrifice fly.
The Seahawks came right back in the bottom of the first by scoring seven runs on six hits. Anthony Godino, Zack Yesko and Trey Nicosia each drove in two runs on extra-base hits to stake Wagner to a comfortable early lead.
After a double by Godino in the second brought home two more runs for Wagner, the Blue Devils started to rally in the top of the third. After Glassman singled, Arman reach on an error to put runners on first and second. Freshman Dean Lockery delivered a single to right center bringing home a run to make it 9-3. Back-to-back singles by sophomore Franklin Jennings and freshman Ryan Costello brought home two more runs to make it 9-5.
The Seahawks added two more runs in the fourth inning and after a sacrifice fly by Severino in the sixth scored a CCSU run, Wagner plated a run in the sixth for the final margin.
Fitzsimons went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored two runs, while Glassman and Arman each added a pair of hits. Severino started on the mound for CCSU and took the loss.
Godino went 4-for-4 at the plate with 6 RBIs to lead the Seahawks, while Mike Adams started and earned the win on the mound.
Game #2 CCSU 2, Wagner 8:
The second game of the day started as a pitcher's duel before the Wagner bats came on strong late to push the Seahawks ahead for the win.
Central again scored first, with Costello taking a 2-1 pitch over the fence in right field for a solo homerun, his second of the season, making it 1-0 in the third inning.
Sophomore Brett Susi looked strong in the early going, facing the minimum number of batters and recording four strikeouts through three innings. The Seahawks managed to get to him in the fourth after a two-out error allowed a run to score and tie the game at 1-1.
Matt Morris turned in a strong outing on the mound for Wagner. After allowing the Costello homerun, he did not allow another CCSU hit over his final two innings of work. He earned the win after the Seahawks opened the fifth with consecutive singles to put runners on first and third. A sacrifice fly by Nicosia brought home the go-ahead run and a single by Nick Dini brought in another run to make it 3-1.
A five-run eighth inning by Wagner made it a seven-run lead and a sacrifice fly from freshman Nick Garland added a CCSU run for the final margin.
Five Blue Devils recorded a hit in the second game, with Costello and Garland each driving in a run. Susi started for Central and suffered his first loss of the season.
Ben Ruta had two hits and two RBIs for Wagner. Morris was credited with the win for the Seahawks.
The teams wrap up the four-game series with a single game on Sunday scheduled for 1 p.m.