Delease's Shutout Helps Baseball Earn Split with Bryant
The teams close the series with a game on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Freshman Michael Delease tossed a complete-game shutout and Central Connecticut downed Bryant, 8-0, in baseball action on Saturday. The Bulldogs won the day's first game, 7-0, in Northeast Conference action.
Central stands at 20-16 overall and 11-5 in NEC play, while Bryant is now 17-20 overall and 10-3 in league play.
GAME 1: Bryant 7, CCSU 0
Jimmy Titus hit a solo homerun in the first inning and would add a two-run single in the third to spark the Bulldogs.
Titus went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs in the first three innings as Bryant built a 3-0 lead. Steve Theetge tossed a complete-game shutout, holding the Blue Devils to just four hits.
Central would load the bases in the second inning, but Theetge worked out of the jam with a fly ball. He would finish the game by retiring the final 11 batters he faced.
Titus led off the sixth with a triple and scored on a single by Mickey Gasper. A hit-by-pitch would put runners on first and second before Tyler Panno tripled to drive in two more runs and push the lead to 6-0.
Gasper would drive in Cole Fabio with a single in the seventh to close out the scoring.
Senior Brendan Smith started for Central and went 6.0 innings and was charged with six runs in the loss. He struck out three and walked one.
Freshman Chris Kanios had a hit and stolen base for the Blue Devils.
CCSU would put runners on second and third with one out in the third and junior Dean Lockery delivered down the right field line to bring in two runs and make 2-0. Kanios followed with a single to move Lockery over, who would then come home on a balk to make it 3-0.
Central broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning. Junior Nick Garland singled to lead off and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, the Blue Devils would get a hit-by-pitch and a walk to load the bases for freshman TT Bowens who singled to left field and scored two runs to make it 5-0. Junior Mitch Guilmette followed with a homerun to right field to bring home three runs and push the lead to 8-0.
Delease retired the final nine batters he faced and needed just 65 pitches for the complete-game shutout. It was his second scoreless start in NEC play of the year as he improved to 3-0 on the season.
Guilmette finished 2-for-2 with three RBIs and a run scored. Garland was also 2-for-2 with two runs scored, while Lockery and Bowens each drove in two runs.
Vito Morgese started and took the loss for Bryant. He allowed four runs in 4.2 innings of work. He struck out two, while allowing five hits and walking two.
The teams close out the series with a single game on Sunday beginning at 1:00 p.m.
