Baseball Season Ends in NCAA Regional; Falling 6-5 to Dallas Baptist University
The Blue Devils finish the season with a 36-22 record overall.
The Central Connecticut baseball team fell to Dallas Baptist University, 6-5, on Sunday in an elimination game at the NCAA Regional in Fort Worth, TX. The Blue Devils brought the go ahead run to the plate in the ninth inning, but the Patriots were able to hold on for the win after hitting five home runs in the game.
The Blue Devils are eliminated from the NCAA Tournament with the loss and fall to 36-22 on the year. DBU improves to 41-20 and moves on to face the loser of the TCU-Virginia game.
FORT WORTH REGIONAL TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
The Blue Devils opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first. Junior Dean Lockery led off with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. After a walk put runners on the corners, junior Mitch Guilmette singled to center field to plate Lockery and make it 1-0. CCSU would load the bases with two outs, but DBU managed to get out of the jam with a groundball.
DBU would take the lead via three homeruns in the second and third innings. Matt Duce led off the second with a homerun to left to tie the game, 1-1. After a walk put a runner on first base, Camden Duzenack hit a two-run homer to left field to make it 3-1.
Austin Listi would hit a homerun with one out in the third for the Patriots to extend the lead to 4-1.
The Blue Devils would trim the deficit in the fifth inning. Senior Tyler Coleman led off with a single up the middle and junior Ryan Costello followed with a single to right field. Freshman TT Bowens collected the third straight hit of the inning to bring home Coleman and make it 4-2. A sacrifice moved the runners up and freshman Buddy Dewaine would plate a run with a fielder's choice to make it 4-3.
Listi would hit his second homerun of the day with two outs in the fifth to give DBU a two-run cushion, 5-3.
Central would get a one-out single by Costello to set up a run in the seventh. Bowens would follow with a double off the wall in left to drive in his second run of the day and make it 5-4. Bowens would get to third base with two outs, but DBU would get a strikeout to end the inning.
The Patriots added an insurance run in the bottom of the eight when Devlin Granberg led off with a homerun to center field to make it 6-4.
The Blue Devils would mount another charge in the ninth inning. Costello singled to shortstop and moved over to second. Guilmette would line a two-out single to left field to score Costello and make it 6-5. Freshman Chris Kanios would come on as a pinch runner and stole second base, but a strikeout would end the game.
Sophomore Mike Appel started for Central and went 3.0 innings. He was charged with four runs on three hits with two strikeouts and three walks. Freshman Ron Grant came on in relief and tosssed 5.0 innings of relief. He allowed two runs on three hits, while striking out one and walking one.
Costello, Guilmette, Bowens and Garland each had two hits for CCSU, which collected 12 hits as a team. Guilmette and Bowens drove in two runs, while Dewaine drove in one.
MD Johnson started for DBU and went 6.1 innings. He allowed four runs on 10 hits, while striking out seven and walking two. Seth Elledge came on for the final eight outs for the save.
Central finishes the season 36-22 overall.
