Baseball Falls in Series Opener to Sacred Heart
Blue Devils and Pioneers will play two on Friday at 1 p.m.
The Central Connecticut baseball team dropped the series opener to Sacred Heart on Thursday afternoon on the CCSU Baseball Field, 7-2. With the loss Central drops to 16-29 overall and 8-13 in Northeast Conference play. Sacred Heart improves to 18-28 overall on the year and 11-10 in league play.
Sacred Heart struck first in the second inning with a pair of runs off of Blue Devil starter Brett Susi. The first run scored on a passed ball, the second came in on a fielder's choice off the bat of Kenny Byram.
The Blue Devils cut the lead in half, 2-1, on an RBI single with two outs from freshman Mitch Guilmette. Guilmette's hit scored freshman Mike Arman who had singled with one out.
The Pioneers pushed the lead to 4-1 in the fifth inning. A triple by Jason Sullivan scored an unearned run following an error by the Blue Devils to begin the inning. Sullivan scored on an infield single from Jesus Medina.
Central got a run back in the bottom of the sixth inning. With senior Dominic Severino on third, following a double earlier in the inning, freshman John Lippincott doubled to make it 4-2.
The Pioneers scored three times in the top of the seventh inning to push the lead to 7-2. Zack Short had an RBI triple in the frame for SHU. Susi left the game after pitching 6.2 innings and allowing seven runs on 10 hits while striking out four SHU batters.
Severino finished the game with a pair of hits, including a double. Guilmette and Lippincott each drove in a run.
The Blue Devils and Pioneers will continue the series with a doubleheader on Friday at 1 p.m. The series ends on Saturday at 1 p.m. as the Blue Devils will honor their four seniors prior to the game.