Baseball Downs Evansville, 9-5, at Liberty Invitational

Central Connecticut downed Evansville, 9-5, on Saturday night in the Liberty Invitational at Liberty Baseball Stadium in Lynchburg, VA. The Blue Devils pounded out 12 hits and built an eight-run lead en route to the win.

CCSU improves to 5-5 overall on the season. Evansville falls to 8-6 overall.

The Purple Aces scored in the bottom of the first. Evansville put the leadoff runner on via a walk and Trey Hair followed with a single. A fielder's choice left runners on first and second base before a fielding error allowed Hair to come home from second base to make it 1-0.

The Blue Devils would come back to take the lead with two runs in the fourth inning. Sophomore Ryan Costello hit a ground-rule double to lead off and moved to thir on a groundout. After classmate John Lippincott was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners, senior Corey Lerche doubled to left center to drive in a pair of runs and make it 2-1.

Central scored another run in the sixth when Lippincott reached on a dropped fly ball and scooted into second base. Junior Nick Landell drove him in with a two-out single to center field to make it 3-1.

CCSU extended the lead with three runs in the seventh inning. Costello hit a double with two outs to extend the inning, and walks to junior Andrew Hinckley and Lippincott would load the bases. Senior Matt Martinez singled through the right side to drive in two runs and a balk would allow Lippincott to score and put the Blue Devils ahead, 6-1.

The Blue Devils tacked on two runs in the ninth. A throwing error allowed senior Connor Fitzsimons to reach and advance third and brough home Lippincott and Martinez. A single by junior Franklin Jennings drove in Fitzsimons to make it 9-1.

Evansville would threaten in the ninth, scoring three runs. Jonathan Ramon hit a pinch-hit, two-run homerun with one out to make it 9-3. A double by Hair would drive in another run, followed by a single from Korbin Williams made it 9-5, but the Blue Devils would get the final two outs and end the rally.

Senior Casey Brown turned in a strong start and got the win for Central. He threw 8.0 innings and allowed one unearned run on seven hits. Brown walked two and struck out three.

Costello went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and two doubles to help powere the Blue Devils at the plate. Landell and Jennings each added two hits of their own, while Lippincott scored four runs.

The Blue Devils close out play at the Liberty Invitational on Sunday against Liberty. The start time has been moved up to Noon.