Baseball Wins Weekend Series with Sunday Victory Over Sacred Heart

Central Connecticut defeated Sacred Heart, 5-1, on Sunday in Northeast Conference baseball action. CCSU took two out of three in the weekend series to improve to 14-12 overall and 5-4 in the NEC. Senior Patrick Mitchell turned in a strong start on the mound and sophomore Peyton Stephens had three hits to pace Central.

The Blue Devils travel to Albany on Tuesday before beginning a three-game weekend series against Bryant in conference play.

Mitchell turned in a strong 6.0 innings of work on the mound and improved to 3-2 on the season. He scattered four hits and had a strikeout with the only blemish on his day coming on a solo homerun from Jake Frasca in the sixth inning.

CCSU gave Mitchell all the help he would need in a three-run third inning. Stephens opened the frame with a double down the left field line. After a single by junior Chris Kanios moved him to third, sophomore Matt Bertochi drove Stephens in on a ground out. Junior Chandler Debrosse would double home Kanios, before sophomore TT Bowens hit a two-out double to drive in Debrosse and make it 3-0.

The Blue Devils tacked on two runs in the seventh inning. Sophomore Jay Devito and Stephens hit back-to-back singles to open the inning and advanced on a sacrifice. A wild pitch allowed Devito to score and Bertochi drove in his second run of the day on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1.

Central had nine hits as a team. Junior Dave Matthews added two hits, while Debrosse and Bowens each had a hit and an RBI.

Junior Michael Delease threw 2.0 shutout innings. He gave up two hits and struck out one. Senior Jared Gallagher tossed a perfect ninth inning.

Thomas Pinto started for SHU and allowed three runs in 3.0 innings of work, taking the loss. Frasca had a 3-for-3 day for the Pioneers, who had six hits as a team.