Sacred Heart Tops Blue Devils on Thursday Night in Northeast Conference Action

Sacred Heart scored 18 runs on 22 hits and defeated Central Connecticut 18-4 on Thursday night at Beehive Field in New Britain. With the loss the Blue Devils drop to 12-9 overall and 2-3 in Northeast Conference play. The Pioneers improve to 11-16-1 overall and 2-3 in league action. The two teams return to action on Friday morning at 10 a.m. with a doubleheader at Beehive Field.

Sacred Heart wasted little time putting runs on the board taking a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Five straight hits, capped by a three-run home run by Mike Olszyk, for the Pioneers gave them the early edge.

The Blue Devils got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out junior Anthony Scialdone and sophomore Pat Epps singled to put runners on first and second. With two outs the runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Junior Richie Tri singled up the middle to plate both runners and cut the lead to 5-2.

Central Connecticut cut it to 5-3 on a sacrifice fly by senior Casey Walko in the fifth inning. Senior Sean Parker singled to lead off the inning and scored on the sac fly by Walko to cut the lead to two.

Sacred Heart scored a single run in the top of the sixth inning to up its lead to 6-3. CCSU reliever Jack Greenhouse entered the game for starter Todd Savatsky and yielded a run in his first inning. Savatsky pitched the first five innings for the Blue Devils giving up five runs, all earned and in the first inning, on seven hits while striking out a pair of Sacred Heart batters.

In the bottom of the inning the Blue Devils got a run back and cut the lead to 6-4. Parker drove in a run with an RBI groundout to the shortstop. The Blue Devils loaded the bases with two outs but Walko's line drive to the third baseman was snagged down the line, preventing an extra-base hit.

The Pioneers scored three more runs in the top of the seventh off of reliever Pat Robinson. Jeff Hepner's two-run home run highlighted the inning for the Pioneers as they took a 9-4 lead.

Sacred Heart opened it up in the top of the eighth inning with nine runs off a pair of relievers for CCSU. The third home run of the game, a grand slam by Paul Schmidt, helped make it 18-4 in favor of the visitors.

The Blue Devils and Pioneers continue their NEC series with a doubleheader on Friday, beginning at 10 a.m. The two games, both seven innings, will be played at Beehive Field in New Britain.