Baseball Held Off by Kansas, 10-8

The Central Connecticut baseball team had its three-game win streak snapped on Tuesday in a 10-8 setback to Kansas at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, FL. Central took a lead with a six-run fourth inning, but the Jayhawks clawed back and used two runs in the eighth inning to get the win. The loss drops CCSU to 3-4 on the year.

Junior Chris Kanios went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in and sophomore Sam Loda had three hits with two runs scored and an RBI. Central banged out 12 hits as a team and had eight different batters hit safely.

The Blue Devils close out their Florida trip against Saint Joseph's on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.

The teams traded runs in the first inning. CCSU opened the scoring in the top of the inning after sophomore Matt Bertochi singled and moved to second on an error. Junior Dave Matthews followed with a single to drive in the first run.

The Jayhawks took advantage of a double and consecutive wild pitches to score their opening run in the first and tie the game before pouding out four runs in the bottom of the second. Dylan Ditzenberger doubled in two runs and James Cosentino and Jaxx Groshans each singled in runs to make it 5-1.

Central responded with a six-run fourth to take a lead. The Blue Devils' first two batters of the inning reached base before sophomore Jake Siracusa drove in two runs with a single to make it 5-3. After a wild pitch and groundout moved Siracusa to third base, Loda followed with a single to plate him and cut the deficit to one run. Sophomore Peyton Stephens, freshman Dan Covino and Kanios would hit three straight singles with Covino and Kanios each driving in a run to give CCSU a 6-5 lead. Following a pitching change, Bertochi would walk to load the bases for Matthews who drew a walk to force in a run and make it 7-5.

KU got a run back in the bottom of the fourth before taking the lead with two runs in the sixth. Brett Vosik and Benjamin Sems each singled home runs to make it 8-7.

The Jayhawks added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth with Skyler Messinger singling homa a run and Sems hitting a sac fly to push the lead to 10-7.

In the ninth Loda walked to lead off before moving to second base with two outs. Kanios delivered a single to left field to drive in Loda. He would move to second to keep the rally alive, but a strikeout would end the game.

Matthews and Siracusa each had a hit and run scored to go with two RBIs apiece. Junior Andrew Braun started and worked 5.0 innings, striking out seven, for CCSU before junior Michael Delease came on for the final three innings.

The Jayhawks used eight pitchers in the game. Starter Hunter Freese lasted 3.1 innings, while Stone Parker tossed 1.1 shutout innings for the win. Brett Vosik went 5-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs.