Baseball Wins Game Two to Split Doubleheader With Sacred Heart
Senior Dominic Severino's complete game powers CCSU to 3-1 win in second game.
The Central Connecticut baseball team split a doubleheader with Sacred Heart on Friday afternoon at CCSU Baseball Field. The Blue Devils got a strong pitching effort from senior Dominic Severino in the second game to earn a 3-1 win. Sacred Heart won the first game 7-1.
The split leaves CCSU with an overall record of 17-30 and 9-14 in the Northeast Conference. Sacred Heart stands at 19-29-1 overall and 12-11 in the NEC.
Game #1 CCSU 1, Sacred Heart 7:
The Pioneers opened the scoring in the first with a run on CCSU starter junior Casey Brown. Jayson Sullivan and Jesus Medina led off with back-to-back singles. A fly out moved them to second and third before a walk loaded the bases. P.J. DeFelippo drove in the run with a groundout to give SHU a 1-0 lead.
The Blue Devils answered in the bottom of the second when freshman Mike Arman reached on a fielder's choice. Arman moved to third on an error and scored on a two-out double by junior Matt Martinez to make it 1-1.
Sacred Heart took the lead with a run in the top of the fourth. P.J. DeFilippo doubled and moved to third on a single. A ground out by Keaton Flint brought DeFilippo in to score and make it 2-1.
The Pioneers broke the game open with three runs in the top of the fifth. Four straight singles to start the inning scored two runs to make it 4-1. Another run came in to score on a failed pick off to make it 5-1 before Brown ended the inning with a strikeout.
Sacred Heart added two more runs in the seventh on a wild pitch and a ground out to make it 7-1.
Jason Foley got the win for SHU by going the distance and only allowing one run on three hits. He walked one and struck out six. Jason Sullivan and Jesus Medina combined for six hits, five runs and an RBI at the top of the Pioneers' lineup to provide the offensive spark.
Brown threw a complete game for CCSU, but took the defeat. Martinez doubled in a run to account for the Blue Devils' scoring.
Game #2 CCSU 3, Sacred Heart 1:
The Blue Devils got Severino all the offense he would need with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Junior Ian Glassman led off with a single and an error put runners on first and second. A double by freshman Mitch Guilmette scored the first run and an infield groundout by Martinez brought home junior Connor Fitzsimons to make it 2-0. A sacrifice fly by freshman Jake Russo scored Guilmette to make it 3-0.
Severino faced the minimum batters through three innings and did not allow a Sacred Heart runner past second until DeFilippo hit a one-out triple in the fifth inning. A sacrifice fly by Flint brought him home to make it 3-1, but that was all the Pioneers would muster against Severino.
The senior righthander went 7.0 innings and allowed the lone run on six hits. He did not walk a batter, while striking out two. At the plate he accounted for one of CCSU's six hits. Glassman collected two hits, while Guilmette, Martinez and Russo each drove in a run.
Medina started on the mound for SHU, but lasted just 2.0 innings. He took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits with a walk and strikeout. DeFilippo had two hits for the Pioneers and scored the lone run.
The teams wrap up the series and regular season with a single game on Saturday at 1 p.m. Central Connecticut will honor its senior class of Severino, Jeff Buck, Nick Coro and Jesse Frawley before the game.
