Baseball Explodes for 15-6 Win Over South Dakota St.
The Blue Devils score seven runs in the eighth inning to pull away.
Junior Ryan Costello homered twice and the Central Connecticut baseball team scored seven runs in the eighth inning to down South Dakota St., 15-6, on Saturday in Delray Beach, FL. Costello finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate with five runs batted in, while classmate Dean Lockery went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and four RBI.
The Blue Devils improved to 3-1 on the year, while South Dakota St. slipped to 2-3.
After surrendering a run in the top of the first, the Blue Devils came back in the bottom of the inning to plate three runs. Senior Franklin Jennings singled to lead off and classmate Tyler Coleman followed with a walk. Lockery followed with the first of his three doubles on the day, driving in two runs to put CCSU ahead, 2-1. Costello followed with a single and freshman Terry Bowens scored Lockery on a ground out to make it 3-1.
The Blue Devils added a run in each of the next three innings to increase the lead. Junior Nick Garland scored on a passed ball in the second to make it 4-1. Junior Ron Jackson singled in Dewaine in the third inning and Lockery hit a solo homerun in the fourth to increase the lead to 6-1.
Senior Andrew Hinckley started for Central and would have all the support he would need. He surrendered two more runs in the fifth, but he would exit with a 6-3 lead. He would improve to 2-0 on the year, throwing 5.0 innings and allowing three runs on seven hits. He walked three and struck out seven.
Philip Jacobson would hit a two-run homerun for SDSU in the top of the sixth to make it 6-5, but Costello came back in the bottom of the inning for a two-run shot of his own to push the lead back to three runs for CCSU.
The Jackrabbits got a run back in the top of the eighth on a solo homer by Anthony Schneider to make it 8-6.
Central would break the game open in the bottom of the inning with seven runs on six hits. Jennings would single home junior Mitch Guilmette after he doubled to lead off. Lockery followed two batters later to drive in a run and make it 10-6. Costello would follow with his second homerun of the day, a three-run shot, to make it 13-6. CCSU would bat around and Guilmette drove in two runs on a single, his second hit of the inning, to close out the scoring.
Central pounded out 15 hits on the day. Jennings and Guilmette each had two hits. Jennings, Coleman and Bowens add two runs apiece.
Juniors Stanley Wolpiuk and Cody Brown would combine to throw 3.2 innings in relief and gave up just one run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Nick Smith went 3-for-4 at the plate for South Dakota St. Jacobson and Matt Johnson each drove in two runs.
Ethan Kenkel took the loss for the Jackrabbits. He allowed four runs, three earned, in 2.0 innings of work. He gave up four hits and walked three.
The Blue Devils play Maine at Noon on Sunday in Delray Beach, FL, to close out the weekend.
