Baseball Sweeps Friday Doubleheader at Norfolk State

March 8, 2024

The Central Connecticut baseball team took a pair of Northeast Conference games at Norfolk State on Friday.. The Blue Devils got strong pitching performances from Jake Neuman and Anthony Mozzicato and homeruns from Josh Taylor, Jeff Nicol and a pair from Derek Haughey.

The teams will wrap up the series on Sunday at Noon.

GAME 1 INFORMATION | BOX SCORE

Score: CCSU 10, NORFOLK STATE 1
Pitching Record: W: Neuman (1-1) | L: Barham (2-2) | Save: - -
Records: CCSU (1-3, 1-0 NEC); NSU (3-9, 0-1 NEC)
Location: Marty J. Miller Field | Norfolk, VA

KEY MOMENTS

Central used a three-run first to build an early lead. Brady Short, walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on an error to begin the game. With runners on first and third, Hunter Pasqualini singled to make it 1-0. Aidan Redahan would make it 2-0 with a single, before a fielder's choice by Elliot Good brought in the third run of the inning.
CCSU tacked on four runs in the fifth inning. A single and a walk to open the inning would set the table for a two-run double by Joe Rios to make it 5-0. The Blue Devils would load the bases with one out before Rios scored on a wild pitch and a groundout by Short plated another run to make it 7-0.
Jake Neuman would keep the Spartans in check in the first five innings, allowing just three hits. NSU got to him in the sixth when Justin Journette hit a two-run homerun to left to make it 7-2.
The Blue Devils added a run in the seventh when Josh Taylor pinch hit and led off the inning with a solo homerun.
CCSU got two runs in the top of the ninth inning on a two-run homerun by Jeff Nicol.

NOTES

Neuman tossed 7.0 innings in the first game and earned the win. He allowed two runs on four hits while striking out three.
Rios, Redahan and Taylor each had two hits. Taylor and Nicol each scored two runs, while Rios and Nicol each drove in two.

GAME 2 INFORMATION | BOX SCORE

Score: CCSU 8, NORFOLK STATE 3
Pitching Record: W: Mozzicato (1-1) | L: Horton (1-2) | Save: Hutchinson (1)
Records: CCSU (1-3, 1-0 NEC); NSU (3-9, 0-1 NEC)
Location: Marty J. Miller Field | Norfolk, VAf

KEY MOMENTS

Derek Haughey led off the bottom of the second with a home-run to right-center to make it 1-0 CCSU.
Central added three runs in the third inning. Hunter Pasqualini doubled home Kyle Gordon to make it 2-0. Haughey would single home Pasqualini and Elliot Good would score on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.
The Spartans got two runs back in the bottom of the inning. C. Curry doubled in a run and K. Queen doubled in another to make it 4-2.
Good would reach on a two-out single in the fifth. Haughey followed with his second homer of the game to make it 6-2.
The Blue Devils added to their lead in the sixth when Short and Redahan each singled in runs to push the lead to 8-2.
Queen hit a solo homer in the bottom of the inning for NSU, but that would be the last of the game's scoring.

NOTES

CCSU has won all five meetings between the teams.
Haughey finished 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs on two homers. He is the first Blue Devil with two homers in a game since Ramon Jiminez and Dan Hussey did it at Merrimack on April 17, 2023.
Anthony Mozzicato started and went 6.0 innings. He struck out nine, while allowing just four hits and a walk. He was charged with three runs.
Sam Hutchinson tossed 3.0 perfect innings in relief. He struck out six.
Good has reached base safely in four of this season's five games. He ended the 2023 season with a streak of 36 straight games reaching base.

UP NEXT

The teams will wrap up the series on Sunday at Noon.

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