Baseball Downs LIU Brooklyn, 9-5, on Sunday

The Central Connecticut baseball team defeated LIU Brooklyn, 9-5, on Sunday at LIU Field. The win was the third for CCSU in the four-game series. Senior Dominic Severino pounded out three hits and was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle as the Blue Devils collected 12 hits as a team in the victory.

Central improves to 15-28 on the year and 8-12 in Northeast Conference play. The loss drops LIU to 16-32 and 9-15 in NEC play.

Severino got the Blue Devils going in the first when he took an 0-2 pitch over the left field fence for a solo homerun. The Blackbirds came back with a two-run homer from Bobby Webb in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. 

LIU scored another run in the bottom of the second to take a 3-1 lead before CCSU's bats broke the game open. Central scored two runs in each of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to buld a six-run advantage.

Junior Connor Fitzsimons got things going in the third inning with a leadoff single. A pair of ground outs moved him to third base before sophomore Franklin Jennings brought him home with a single to shortstop to make it 3-2. Jennings stole second to get into scoring position for Severino who singled through the left side to tie the game at 3-3.

Freshman Mike Arman singled to lead off the fourth inning and another single by freshman John Lippincott and a walk to junior Matt Martinez loaded the bases with nobody out. Freshman Nick Garland brought home the first run with a fielder's choice and Lippincott scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-3.

CCSU again loaded the bases in the fifth inning when Jennings led off with a single and Severino followed with a double. After Arman was intentionally walked, Lippincott delivered a single up the middle to bring home two runs and make it 7-3.

The Blue Devils tacked on two more runs in the sixth to get all the run support they would need. Freshman Dean Lockery walked and stole second with two outs to get things started. A bunt single by Jennings put runners on the corners before Severino walked to load the bases. Freshman Dylan Maher singled through the right side to bring home two runs and make it 9-3.

The Blue Devils' pitching and defense did its part to make the lead stand up. A single and double in the bottom of the fourth for LIU put runners on second and third with two outs, but sophomore Adam Neveski got out of the jam with a fly out to left. The Blackbirds loaded the bases in the fifth with a two-out triple and then two walks. Sophomore Austin Salnitis squashed the threat by getting a fly out to right field.

LIU managed to claw back for a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Charles Misiano singled and moved to third on a double by Brian Lamboy. Dom Paiotti singled up the middle to score two runs and make it 9-5, but Severino came in to close the door over the final three innings.

Severino closed the door on the Blackbirds in three innings of work. LIU got runners on second and third in the eighth, but he ended the inning with a strikeout and then stranded runners on first and third in the ninth to earn his first save of the year. Senior Jesse Frawley started for the Blue Devils and threw 1.1 innings before giving way to Neveski, who threw 3.1 shutout innings to get the win. 

Severino went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs at the plate, while Jennings added three hits and three runs scored. Maher and Lippincott each drove in two runs as well for CCSU, which pounded out 12 hits on the day.

Vincent Tranchina started for LIU and allowed five runs in 3.1 innings of work. Lamboy, Webb and Andrew Turner each had two hits, while Paiotti and Webb each had two RBIs.

The Blue Devils close out their non-conference slate with a trip to face Hartford on Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m.