Baseball Holds Off FDU, 9-5, Saturday

The Central Connecticut baseball team pounded out 16 hits in a 9-5 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday at CCSU Baseball Field in Northeast Conference action. The Blue Devils got at least one hit from each batter in the lineup and scored seven runs over the final three innings. CCSU improves to 5-8 overall and 3-2 in NEC play, while FDU slips to 7-8 overall and 1-2 in the league.

The teams conclude the three-game series on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. 

FDU got on the board first with a run in the top of the first. Bobby Romano singled with one out and moved to second following a walk. Peter Theodorellis would single with two outs to score Romano and make it 1-0.

Central got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Senior Dean Lockery led off with a walk and moved to second on a single by sophomore Chris Kanios. A single by senior Nick Garland would load the bases for sophomore Buddy Dewaine who brought home Lockery on a fielder's choice to make it 1-1.

The Knights took the lead in the top of the fourth after the first two batters reached base. A sac bunt would move the runners to scoring position for Oliver Tavares who hit into a ground out that brought the run home to make it 2-1.

FDU added to the lead in the fifth. Jason Ortiz walked to lead off and moved to third on a sacrifice and a single. Mike Veit would plate Ortiz on an RBI groundout to make it 3-1.

The Blue Devils came back with a run in the fifth. Dewaine would get things started with a one-out single and moved around to third on a wild pitch, followed by a throwing error. Freshman Peyton Stephens would deliver a single to right field to score Dewaine and make it 3-2. 

CCSU would take the lead in the sixth inning with two runs. Lockery tripled to lead off and scored on a single by Kanios to tie the game. With runners on first and second and two outs, Stephens singled through the right side to score the go-ahead run and make it 4-3.

Central added to the lead in the seventh with two more runs. Freshman Christian Layne tripled to lead off, as the first three Blue Devils in the inning all reached base. Freshman Jeremy Sagun singled home Lane to make it 5-3 and Lockery followed with a single of his own. Central would load the bases with two outs for Dewaine who would be hit by a pitch to plate another run and make it 6-3.

FDU tried to rally in the eighth when it got four straight singles to open the inning. Tavares' single would score a run to make it 6-4. After a strikeout, Ortiz would hit a bases-loaded single to cut the CCSU lead to 6-5, but senior Kyle Anderson would work out the jam with a strikeout and fly out to leave the bases full.

Central would load the bases with one out in the eighth for Kanios who singled through the middle to score two runs and push the lead back to three runs. With runners on first and second, senior Mitch Guilmette singled through the right side to drive in a run and make it 9-5. Anderson would sit FDU down in order in the ninth to close the game.

Lockery and Kanios each had three hits for the Blue Devils. Lockery scored three times, while Kanios drove in three runs. Dewaine and Stephens added two hits and two RBIs apiece, while Layne had two hits and two runs scored.

Junior Mike Appel started for CCSU and got the win. He went 6.2 innings and allowed three runs on six hits, while striking out six. Anderson tossed 2.0 shutout innings and struck out three for the save.

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