Baseball Closes Regular Season With Doubleheader Split on Friday

The Central Connecticut baseball team split a Northeast Conference doubleheader with Stonehill to close the regular season on Friday in New Britain, CT. The Blue Devils won the first game, 8-4, and the Skyhawks took the second game, 8-4. CCSU recognized its group of seniors: Tim Buchek, Luke Garofalo, Ramon Jimenez, Dominic Niman, Jimmy Sullivan and Michael Torniero prior to the twin bill.

The Blue Devils are the top seed in the NEC Tournament and will play on Thursday at 11:00 a.m.

GAME INFORMATION | Game 1 BOX SCORE | Game 2 BOX SCORE

Records: CCSU (32-11, 25-5 NEC), STO (14-35, 10-20 NEC)
Location: CCSU Baseball Field | New Britain, CT

Game 1 Score: CCSU 8, STONEHILL 4
Pitching Record: W: Neuman (6-1) |  L: Douglas (3-4) | Sv: - -

Game 2 Score: CCSU 4, STONEHILL 8
Pitching Record: W: Friedman (2-2)  |  L: Reyes (2-3)  |  Sv: - -

GAME 1 - KEY MOMENTS

• The teams traded runs in the opening inning with Jimenez driving in Kyle Gordon to make it 1-1 after the opening frame.
• Central would break the game open with six runs in the bottom of the second inning. Joe Rios started things with a one-out double and scored on a single by Elliot Good. With two outs, Kyle Gordon doubled in Good and advanced on a throwing error. Aidan Redahan would follow with an RBI double of his own before scoring on an error that extended the inning. Sullivan would take advantage by driving a two-run homer to left field to make it 7-1.
• The Blue Devils would load the bases with nobody out in the fourth inning and a single by Jimenez would drive in a run to make it 8-1.
• CCSU starter Jake Neuman allowed just four hits after Stonehill's run in the first inning, but in the top of the seventh the Skyhawks got a two-run homerun from Mike Swanholm to cut the deficit to 8-3.
• The Skyhawks got a two-out double to plate a run in the ninth, but that would close out the scoring.

GAME 2 - KEY MOMENTS

• Stonehill banged out five runs in the top of the first inning. Blaine Lidsky hit a three-run homer and Taylor Gaspar hit a two-run homer to make it 5-0 in the opening frame.
• Pierce Friedman would use the run support to allow just two runs in his 6.1 innings of work. He would get an eight-run cushion after a three-run fifth made it 8-0 for the Skyhawks.
• CCSU would try to mount a rally with a four-run seventh inning. Robert Chesney walked and moved to third on a double by Good. An infield single by Tyler Fote pushed across the first run before Gordon followed with a single to drive in a run and make it 8-2. With the bases loaded and two outs, Sullivan hit a ground-rule double to center field to drive in a pair and make it 8-4.
• The Blue Devils were unable to get any closer as Billy Duff would come on in relief and toss 2.1 hitless innings to finish the game.

NOTES

• The series was the first meetings of the teams as Division I opponents.
• Gordon would go 5-for-10 with four runs and two RBIs in the doubleheader.
• Sullivan extended his hitting streak to 15 games and is batting .439 (25-for-57) with three home runs since his streak began on April 14.
• Jake Neuman improved to 5-0 in conference play following his victory in game one. He tossed 7.0 innings and struck out eight without allowing a walk.

UP NEXT

The Blue Devils are the top seed in the NEC Tournament and will play on Thursday at 11:00 a.m.

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