Baseball Splits Doubleheader at Wagner

Central Connecticut took the opener of a baseball doubleheader before falling in extra-innings in the second game on Sunday at Wagner. The Blue Devils won 7-4 in seven innings before faltering in 11 innings in game two and falling, 5-4.

CCSU is now 28-20 overall and 17-7 in conference play. The Seahawks go to 18-25 overall and 10-11 in league play.

GAME 1: CCSU 7, Wagner 4

The Blue Devils took the first game, building a seven-run lead and then doing enough to hold off the Seahawks for a 7-4 win.

Central built a seven-run lead in the opening three innings. The Blue Devils took advantage of a leadoff single by junior Dean Lockery and senior Tyler Coleman reaching via an error to get runners on second and third. With one out, freshman Buddy Dewaine singled to bring in two runs and make it 2-0.

The Blue Devils got a leadoff double from junior Nick Garland in the second inning as they would add to the lead. After Lockery drew a walk, a double steal would put runners on second and third for Coleman who singled to bring home a run and make it 3-0. Lockery would then score on a passed ball to make it 4-0.

Junior Mitch Guilmette led off the third with a single and moved to third after freshman Chris Kanios reached on a throwing error. Senior Franklin Jennings would single home Guilmette to increase the lead to 5-0 and Garland would follow with a sacrifice to bring home another run. A walk and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with two outs and Costello would draw a walk to force in a run to make it 7-0. 

The Seahawks would chip away at the Central lead, beginning with a solo homerun by Phil Capra in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-1.

Wagner would get back-to-back singles with one out in the fifth to put runners on first and second base. Capra would follow with a three-run homerun to cut the CCSU margin to 7-4, but that was all the Seahawks would be able to manage.

Sophomore Jared Gallagher tossed 2.0 scoreless innings to earn the save. He allowed two hits and recorded a strikeout. Freshman Michael Delease started and went 4.0 innings. He allowed one run on four hits with a walk and a strikeout.

Guilmette finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate, while Lockery was 2-for-2 with two runs and a stolen base. 

Danny Marsh started for the Seahawks, but allowed seven runs, three earned, in 2.2 innings of work, while walking four and surrendering seven hits.

Capra went 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs to lead the Seahawks at the plate.

GAME 2: Wagner 5, CCSU 4 (11 innings)

After the Blue Devils scored a run in the ninth to force extra innings, the Seahawks scored a run in the bottom of the 11th to take a split of the doubleheader.

Wagner opened the first inning with a walk and single, followed by a double-steal to put runners on second and third. Capra drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. Freddy Sabido followed with a ground out to score another run and make it 2-0.

The Blue Devils would come back with three runs in the second and third to take a lead. With two outs, Jennings and Maher would reach base in the second inning before the game was interrupted by rain for 18 minutes. Following the delay, senior Nick Landell doubled to left field to score a run and make it 2-1.

Costello would hit a one-out double to set up the CCSU third inning. Guilmette would bring him home with a single to left center and tie the game, 2-2. Consecutive wild pitches would move Guilmette to third base before Kanios delivered a single to plate Guilmette and put CCSU in front, 3-2.

Wagner would retake the lead with two runs in the fourth inning. Kyle Brey singled to lead off and moved to second on a sac bunt. A triple by Anthony Godino would bring in a run and tie the game, 3-3. Capra followed with a ground out to score Godino and make it 4-3.

The Blue Devils would manage to draw even in their final at bat. Landell led off with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Lockery would be hit by a pitch, before Coleman stepped in and put the ball in play. An error allowed Landell to come around to score and tie the game, while putting runners on first and second. After a fly out, Wagner would manage to end the inning with a double-play.

The Seahawks managed to plate the winning run in the 11th. A walk and a single to open the inning put runners on first and second, and Capra delivered a single to right field to score the game-winning run.

Central totaled nine hits as a team and had three players collect two hits each. Landell and Guilmette each had two hits and an RBI with a run scored, while Costello added two hits and a run scored.

Freshman Ron Grant started and went 6.0 innings. He struck out three, but allowed four runs on nine hits with four walks. Junior Kyle Anderson went 4.0 innings in relief and allowed just three hits and two walks with two strikeouts, but did allow one run and took the loss.

Godino had three hits for the Seahawks, who had 12 hits as a team. Capra drove in three runs at the plate.

Douglas Molnar got the win on the mound. He tossed 3.0 innings of scoreless relief and allowed just two hits and a walk with a strikeout.

The Blue Devils play at Hartford on Wednesday, May 17, in an 11:00 a.m. contest to close out the non-conference slate.