Baseball Drops Doubleheader at K-State on Sunday

Central Connecticut dropped both games of a doubleheader on Sunday against Kansas State at Tointon Family Stadium. The Blue Devils would push the Wildcats, but the KSU bullpen allowed just one run in 8.0 innings on the day.

The Blue Devils travel to Florida for the RussMatt Invitational and will play Bradley on Wednesday.

GAME INFORMATION
Score - Game 1: CCSU 3, K-State 5
Pitching Record: W: McCullough (2-1) | L: Buchek (0-1) | Sv: Corsentino (1)

Score - Game 2: CCSU 2, K-State 5
Pitching Record: W: Jurecka (1-0) | L: Mozzicato (1-1) | Sv: Fajardo (1)

Records: CCSU (3-4), K-State (7-7)
Location: Tointon Family Stadium | Manhattan, KS

KEY MOMENTS - GAME 1

• CCSU got on the board in the top of the first after senior Jay Devito got on base with a one-out single. Junior Dan Covino followed with a double to center field to make it 1-0. K-State tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Dominic Johnson led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-1.
• Cole Johnson would make it 2-1 with a one-out homerun in the bottom of the second.
• The Blue Devils scored twice in the fourth. Junior Noah Martinez singled to lead off and a walk put runners on first and second. Sophomore Michael Torniero followed with a single to drive in a run and after a sac bunt put runners on second and third, junior Jack Nolan hit a RBI-groundout to make it 3-2. 
• The Wildcats hit three straight doubles to open the bottom of the fourth. Justin Mitchell would drive in a run to make it 3-3, but he would be thrown out at home on Cole Johnson's double, preventing further damage.
• In the sixth, senior Sam Loda hit a one-out triple, but would be left stranded. In the bottom of the inning, KSU would get runners to second and third with two outs before Kaelen Culpepper doubled to drive in a run and gave KSU the lead, 4-3.
• K-State got a lead off homerun by Justin Mitchell to open the eighth and add an insurance run, 5-3.

KEY MOMENTS - GAME 2

• K-State got on the board first, for the first time in the series, with two runs in the third. Dominic Johnson would hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the third to make it 2-0.
• CCSU got a run back in the top of the fourth. Loda was hit by a pitch to lead off and would advance to third on a ground out and a wild pitch. Following a walk, junior Dylan Sanchez was able to get the ball to right and drive in a run to make it 2-1.
• The Wildcats extended the lead in the fifth after three straight one-out singles. Dylan Phillips would drive in a run on a single to left, followed by Nick Goodwin plating a run on a sac fly to make it 4-1.
• Central got a run back in the top of the sixth when Martinez led off with a solo homerun to left center to make it 4-2.
• Following Martinez's homerun, the K-State bullpen retired seven straight batters before Covino laced a one-out single in the eighth. The Wildcats would get back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning and then tacked on an insurance run on a single by Culpepper in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-2. Central managed a walk in the ninth but was unable to get anything else.

NOTES

• CCSU head coach managed his 1,100th game at Central in the first game of the doubleheader. In his 23rd season, Hickey has a 584-512-5 record at the helm of the Blue Devils.
• Sophomore Jake Neuman started game one for CCSU. He scattered six hits and was charged with three runs in 4.0 innings, while not factoring in the decision.
• Sophomore Anthony Mozzicato started game two. He was charged with one run over 4.0 innings. He gave up four hits and had two strikeouts.
• Sophomore Luke Garofalo recorded five strikeouts in 2.0 innings of relief.
• Senior Jay Devito and junior Jack Nolan each had two hits in the opener. Devito scored a run, while Nolan drove one in. 
• Sophomore Hunter Pasqualini had a double and Martinez homered for Central in game two, but the Blue Devils had just five hits in the game.

UP NEXT

The Blue Devils travel to Florida for the RussMatt Invitational and will play Bradley on Wednesday.