Baseball Drops Saturday Contest at LIU Brooklyn

The Central Connecticut baseball team fell to LIU Brooklyn, 15-4, in the second of a three-game Northeast Conference series on Saturday in Brooklyn, NY. CCSU senior Mitch Guilmette homered for the third straight game, but LIU scored nine runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take control of the contest.

The loss drops Central to 3-6 overall and 1-1 in the NEC, while LIU improved to 8-9 overall and 1-1 in league play.

The Blue Devils would open the game's scoring. Senior Dean Lockery and sophomore Chris Kanios set the table drawing a walk and singling, respectively, to lead off the inning. Senior Nick Garland would be hit by a pitch with one out to load the bases before sophomore Buddy Dewaine hit a sac fly to right field to score the day's first run and make it 1-0 CCSU.

The Blackbirds got the run back in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game. Brock Hallum led off with a walk and scored on a two-out double by Andrew Smith to make it 1-1.

CCSU retook the lead in the third inning. Lockery led off with a walk and moved to second on a ground out. With two outs, Garland singled to right to drive in Lockery and make it 2-1 CCSU.

LIU broke open the game in the fourth inning, plating six runs. The Blackbirds knocked out seven hits and Dom Paiotti delivered a two-run single and Luis Arias hit a two-run double to lead the attack. Arias' two-run, two-out double to left field made it 7-2.

The Blackbirds had four straight batters reach base with one out in the fifth inning. Paiotti drove in a run with a single and Andrew Turner doubled home another run to make it 9-2.

Freshman Peyton Stephens and senior Andrew Hinckley hit back-to-back singles with one out in the sixth for CCSU. With two outs and runners on the corners, freshman Matt Bertochi singled to right field bringing home a run to make it 9-3.

LIU got a pair of homeruns in the bottom of the sixth to wipe out the Central run. Guilmette would deliver his fourth homer in three games for CCSU in the bottom of the seventh to make it, 12-4, but Edward Modica homered in the LIU half of the inning and Alex Briggs hit a sac fly to close out the scoring. 

The Blue Devils had nine hits from nine different hitters. Lockery scored a pair of runs, while Guilmette, Garland, Dewaine and Bertochi each drove in a run.

Junior Mike Appel started for CCSU on the mound and took the loss. He struck out six, but also walked six in his 3.2 innings of work.

The Blackbirds rapped out 17 hits and had seven players record two or more hits. Anthony Warneke went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Six Blackbirds drove in two runs.

Zach Pederson went 6.0 innings for the win. He struck out seven, walked three, and allowed just three runs.

The teams close out the weekend's three-game series on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.