Baseball Sweeps Saturday Doubleheader From Sacred Heart

The teams wrap the series up with a single game on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

May 6, 2017

Central Connecticut swept a Northeast Conference baseball doubleheader from Sacred Heart on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Devils have now won four straight in conference play.

Central improves to 25-18 overall and 14-5 in Northeast Conference play, while Sacred Heart is now 16-29 overall and 9-9 in league play.

GAME 1: CCSU 11, SHU 5

The Blue Devils built a nine-run lead and got a strong start from senior Brendan Smith on the mound to take the day's first game, 11-5.

Central opened the scoring in the first with two runs. The Blue Devils loaded the bases with no outs and freshman TT Bowens drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to make it 1-0. Junior Mitch Guilmette followed with a single through the right side to score junior Ryan Costello from second base to make it 2-0.

Costello led of the CCSU third inning with a homerun to right field, his sixth of the year, to make it 3-0. Bowens and Guilmette would reach base on an error and a single, respectively. Following an out, senior Franklin Jennings would triple to the gap in left field to clear the bases and stretch the Central lead to 5-0.

A two-out double by junior Nick Garland drove in Guilmette to open a three-run fifth inning for the Blue Devils. CCSU would then load the bases with two outs for senior Tyler Coleman who doubled down the left field line to score two more runs and push the lead to 8-0.

Central tacked on a run in the sixth when junior Dylan Maher drove in Bowens to make it 9-0.

Senior Brendan Smith was in control on the mound for Central most of the afternoon. After the Pioneers had a runner reach on an error in the first, he retired 19 straight batters and would carry a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Keith Klebart doubled with two outs in the seventh to break up the no-hitter and spark an SHU rally. Six straight Pioneers would get a hit, including a two-run homerun by Austin Markmann, and they would cut the deficit to 9-5.

CCSU would come back in the bottom of the inning with two runs. Coleman and Costello would single and double, respectively, before Bowens drove in the first run to make it 10-5. Guilmette would follow with a groundball to second to score another run and put Central ahead 11-5.

CCSU would pound out 12 hits, with five player collecting at least two hits. Coleman would finish 3-for-4, while Lockery, Costello, Guilmette and Garland each had two hits.

Smith would toss 6.2 innings and get the win. He finished with six strikeouts and allowed five hits. Sophomore Tom Curtin threw the final 2.1 innings and surrendered just two hits.

Brent Teller started and took the loss for SHU. He allowed eight runs, seven earned, in 4.2 innings of work. He struck out four and walked four, while allowing seven hits.

Game 2: CCSU 9, Sacred Heart 1

Central swept the doubleheader with a 9-1 win in game two. The Blue Devils got a crucial double-play in the seventh and then tacked on five runs over their final two at bats for the win.

The Blue Devils opened the scoring in the fourth inning after Costello doubled to centerfield with one out. He moved to third on a single by Bowens and came home on an RBI-groundout by Guilmette to make it 1-0.

Central doubled the lead in the fifth. Senior Nick Landell singled with one out and the Blue Devils would load the bases with two outs. Bowens drew a walk to bring Landell in and make it 2-0.

Freshman Buddy Dewaine led off the sixth with a walk and scooted to third after Jennings put down a sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error advanced the runners to second and third. Landell would bring Dewaine home on a fielder's choice and a single by Landell scored Jennings to make it 4-0.

The Pioneers managed to get on the board in the seventh. Dan Schock took led off the inning and sent the first pitch he saw over the left field fence to make it 4-1. Sacred Heart would load the bases with one out before CCSU brought on sophomore Jared Gallagher. The first pitch he threw induced a double-play groundball to end the threat.

Dewaine singled in a run in the seventh for CCSU to make it 5-1. Bowens added to the lead in the eighth with a two-run triple to make it 7-1. Freshman Chris Kanios followed with a single to right field to bring in a run before he would eventually come around to score as well to close out the scoring.

Sophomore Mike Appel started for CCSU and went 6.1 innings. He allowed one run on six hits, while striking out four and walking three.

Bowens and Landell each finished with two hits. Bowens would drive in three runs and score twice.

Baylor Sundahl started for Sacred Heart and took the loss. He allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits, while walking five.

The teams wrap-up the three-game set with a single, nine-inning tilt on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.