Baseball Opens Final Regular Season Series With Win Over Stonehill

The Central Connecticut baseball team opened the final Northeast Conference regular season series with a 24-6 triumph over Stonehill on Thursday in New Britain, CT. Dominic Niman won his 10^th game of the campaign and the lineup knocked out a season-high 23 hits.

The Blue Devils and Skyhawks will play a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 12:00 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE

Score: CCSU 24, STONEHILL 6
Pitching Record: W: Niman (10-2) |  L: Kelly (0-3) | Sv: - -
Records: CCSU (31-10, 24-4 NEC), STO (13-34, 9-19 NEC)
Location: CCSU Baseball Field | New Britain, CT

KEY MOMENTS

• Niman's only blemish of the afternoon came in the top of the first. He allowed a lead off single and then, following a sacrifice bunt, Trey Ciulla-Hall hit a pitch over the fence in center field to make it 2-0. Niman would not allow another runner past second base on the day and only surrendered four singles after the opening frame.
• The Blue Devils responded in the bottom of the first with three consecutive hits to open the inning, including a two-run single by Ramon Jimenez. Derek Haughey would hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run and make it 3-2.
• Central posted 12 runs in the third and fourth innings. In the third, the first two batters reached base and Mike Torniero would hit a single through the left side to drive in a run, followed by a Joe Rios triple to clear the bases and make it 6-2. Brady Short would plate Rios with a sac fly.
• In the fourth, CCSU would bat around and score eight runs. Haughey hit a two-run homerun to open the scoring. Hunter Pasqualini would add a two-run single, while Aidan Redahan and Jimmy Sullivan added run-scoring doubles in the frame.
• The Blue Devils would add nine runs in the eighth inning, highlighted by a three-run homer from Josh Taylor.
• Stonehill pushed across four runs in the top of the ninth too round out the scoring.

NOTES

• The teams were meeting for the first time as Division I opponents.
• Niman won his 10^th decision of the season, establishing a new CCSU single-season mark.
• Niman tossed 7.0 innings and allowed just two runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
• Haughey went 3-for-3 on the day with three RBIs and three runs. He added two base on balls.
• Sullivan, Pasqualini, Redahan and Short each added three hits as a total of seven Blue Devils had at least two hits in the game.
• Sullivan extended his hitting streak to 13 games and is batting .469 (23-for-49) with two home runs and 11 runs scored since his streak began on April 14.

UP NEXT

The Blue Devils and Skyhawks will play a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 12:00 p.m.

Follow @CCSUBlueDevils on Twitter and CCSUBlueDevils.com for updates.