Baseball Downs LIU Brooklyn for 10th Straight NEC Win

The Central Connecticut baseball team won the series-opener on Thursday afternoon at LIU Brooklyn, 3-1, in Northeast Conference action at LIU Field. The Blue Devils scored two runs in the eighth inning to pick up its 10th straight conference win. The win improves CCSU to 25-19 overall and 15-7 in league play.

The teams will continue the series on Friday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.

The Blue Devils have won a program-record 10 straight games in Northeast Conference play.

Senior Tom Curtin started on the mound for Central and allowed just two hits through the first five innings. LIU's Zach Pederson matched Curtin, allowing just two CCSU hits in the opening five frames.

The Blue Devils managed to break through in the sixth inning. Junior Chandler Debrosse led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Following a fly out, junior Dave Matthews stepped in and laced a double to left center to drive in Debrosse and make it 1-0. 

The Blackbirds managed to tie the game in the seventh. Alex Briggs tripled to lead off and scored on a single by Greg Vaughn to make it 1-1.

Central got a leadoff single by Debrosse in the eighth inning. With one out, a pair of errors allowed junior TT Bowens to reach base and move to second base. The throwing errors allowed Debrosse to score from first and make it 2-1. After an intentional walk, junior Buddy Dewaine hit a one-out single to drive in Bowens and make it 3-1.

Senior Mike Appel, who came on in relief in the seventh inning, would strand two Blackbirds runners in the final two innings to finish up the win. Appel improved to 5-0 on the season, throwing 2.2 innings and allowing just two walks, while striking out five. 

Curtin scattered four hits in 6.1 innings. He struck out five, walked two and surrendered just one run.

Debrosse and junior Chris Kanios each collected two hits. Debrosse scored two runs as well. Matthews and Dewaine each drove in a run for the Blue Devils, who had seven hits as a team.