Baseball Falls to FDU in Series Finale
FDU scores five runs in the eighth inning to win.
A late-inning rally by Fairleigh Dickinson doomed the Central Connecticut baseball team in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at CCSU Baseball Field. After the Blue Devils scored three runs in the seventh inning, the Knights came back with five runs in the eighth to claim a 6-4 win.
The loss drops the Blue Devils to 11-19 overall and 5-7 in Northeast Conference play. The Knights improve to 11-16 overall and 5-7 in the NEC.
The contest started as a pitchers' duel as CCSU junior Casey Brown and FDU's Logan Frati held the teams scoreless through the first four frames. The Knights had the first chance to score in the second, when Joel Roman attempted to come home from second base on a slow grounder, but freshman Ryan Costello cut him down at the plate.
The Knights broke the deadlock in the fifth when Jason Fatzinger led off with a single up the middle. He moved to second on a single by Shane Siebler and scored when Matt McCann reached base on a throwing error to make it 1-0.
Frati kept the Blue Devils off the board until the sixth inning. Costello drew a one out walk and moved to second on a fielder's choice. Junior Corey Lerche drove him in with a single through the middle to make it 1-1.
CCSU took the lead in the seventh after opening the inning with back-to-back singles by junior Connor Fitzsimons and sophomore Franklin Jennings. A sacrifice bunt by freshman Dean Lockery moved them up a base, before FDU intentionally walked senior Dominic Severino to load the bases. Freshman Mitch Guilmette hit a pinch-hit double through the right side to bring home two runs and make it 3-1. After the Knights got an out at home plate, freshman Mike Arman scored Guilmette with a single to right field to make it 4-1.
An error put the Knights' leadoff batter on in the eighth and a single by Matt McCann put runners on first and second. Dylan Sprague singled home a run to make it 4-2, before Brown struck out the next batter. After a pitching change, FDU's Patrick McClure singled to left field and brought home a run to make it 4-3. With two outs, Roman hit a double to left field bringing home two runs and giving the Knights a 5-4 lead. Fatzinger followed with a single tack on a run for the final margin of 6-4.
Brown went 7.1 innings and allowed four runs, just one earned, while walking one and striking out a season-best seven. Arman and Lerche each collected two hits for the Blue Devils.
Frati earned the win, going 7.0 innings and allowing four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and four walks. Erik Snyder retired the final six batters in order to pick up the save. Fatzinger finished the day 3-for-4 at the plate for the Knights.
Central returns to action on Tuesday, April 21, with a 3 p.m. game at Siena.