Sacred Heart Tops Baseball 4-3 in 10 Innings on Saturday

The Central Connecticut baseball team dropped a 4-3 decision in extra innings to Sacred Heart on Saturday in New Britain.  The Blue Devils are now 9-10 overall and 3-2 in Northeast Conference play with the loss.  Sacred Heart moves to 7-14 overall and 2-0 in the league with the win.

The teams will finish the weekend series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Pioneers took a 1-0 lead with a single run in the bottom of the third inning.

The Blue Devils tied the game 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI groundout from senior Nick Landell.  The Pioneers answered, however, with a two run double in the bottom of the inning to push the lead to 3-1.

Central chipped away with a run in the sixth and a run in the seventh to tie the game 3-3.  In the sixth inning a groundout from junior Dylan Maher scored senior Tyler Coleman to make it 3-2.  Coleman had singled to lead off the inning.

In the seventh Landell drove in his second run of the game to tie the game, and eventually send it to extra innings.

Sacred Heart, who was playing as the home team this weekend, used a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning to earn the 4-3 win. 

Landell finished with a pair of RBI to lead the Blue Devil offense.  Senior Franklin Jennings and junior Dean Lockery each had a pair of hits in the loss.

Sophomore Mike Appel, who pitched a no-hitter his last time out for CCSU, went seven innings and allowed five hits and three runs while striking out six.  Only one of the runs was earned.  Sophomore Jared Gallagher pitched the final 2+ innings and picked up the loss.  He allowed just one hit and one run.

The teams will finish the weekend series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.