Baseball's Rally Comes Up Short to Sacred Heart on Saturday
The Central Connecticut baseball team had its ninth-inning rally cut short, falling to Sacred Heart, 4-3, in Northeast Conference action on Saturday in a game played at Dunkin' Donuts Park. The Blue Devils pushed across a run and had runners on second and third in the ninth inning, but the Pioneers were able to get the final two outs to end the game.
GAME ONE INFORMATION
Score: CCSU 3, Sacred Heart 4
Records: CCSU (19-10, 16-7 NEC), SHU (18-20, 13-7 NEC)
Location: Dunkin' Donuts Park | Hartford, CT
Pitching Record: W: LaMay (3-3) | L: Fox (5-3) | Sv: Coffey (7)
KEY MOMENTS
- For the second day in a row, the Blue Devils broke open the scoring in the first inning. Junior Jay Devito got things started with a single before moving to third on a two-out double by senior Buddy Dewaine. Junior Sam Loda followed with a single to drive in the game's first run. Senior Dave Matthews delivered CCSU's third straight hit with a single to drive in Dewaine and make it 2-0.
- The game would settle into a pitcher's duel until the sixth inning when Sacred Heart scored four runs on five hits. Anthony Porrino led off with a single and moved to second on a single by Justin Jordan before advancing on a fly out to centerfield. With two outs, Austin Markmann singled to drive in Porrino and make it 2-1. Isiah Dobbin would follow with a three-run homerun to make it 4-2.
- Central would get a run in the ninth and have the go-ahead run at second base. Junior Peyton Stephens led off with a single and moved to third on a single by freshman Elliot Good. Freshman Hunter Pasqualini singled to center to drive in a run to make it 4-3. He would move to second on a wild pitch, but SHU would end the threat with a strikeout and a line out to close out the game.
NUMBER TO KNOW
9 - CCSU got at least one hit from nine different hitters in the game. The Blue Devils collected double-digit hits as a team for the 3rd straight game and 12th time on the season.
NOTES
- Devito had two hits for the second straight game. He extended his streak of reaching base to 33 games dating back to the truncated 2020 season.
- Senior Brandon Fox took the loss, ending a streak of four straight decisions with a victory. He allowed just one hit over the first five innings, before running into trouble in the sixth. He finished with four strikeouts and a walk in 5.2 innings, while being charged with four runs on six hits.
- Dewaine, Stephens and Good also each collected two hits in the game. Dewaine and Good each had a double.
- Since his return to the lineup, Dewaine had hit .364 (8-for-22) with three RBIs and six runs scored. He has knocked out four doubles and a homerun.
- The Blue Devils will look to win the series on Sunday. Central has won 6-of-7 conference series' so far this season.
UP NEXT
The series wraps up with a game on Sunday. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart.
