Baseball Rallies to Sweep Doubleheader at Mount St. Mary's Saturday

The Central Connecticut baseball team rallied in a pair of wins on Saturday to sweep a doubleheader at Mount St. Mary's at E.T. Straw Family Field in Emmitsburg, MD. The Blue Devils hit three homeruns and knocked 22 hits in the first game, erasing a six-run deficit to down Mount St. Mary's, 14-9, in 12 innings. In the second game, CCSU scored seven runs in the final two innings to win 9-8.

The wins improve Central to 17-16 overall and 7-7 in the Northeast Conference, while Mount slips to 13-28 overall and 6-11 in the NEC.

The Blue Devils and Mountaineers wrap up the series on Sunday with a single game.

GAME 1: CCSU 14, MOUNT ST. MARY'S 9
The Mountaineers built a 6-0 lead in the opening two innings before the Blue Devils' offense began to rally.

A one-out double by sophomore TT Bowens plated sophomore Sam Loda to get CCSU on the board in the fourth inning and make it 6-1. Junior Dave Matthews followed with a two-run homerun to make it 6-3. A two-out error allowed sophomore Jake Siracusa to reach base and extend the inning for sophomore Peyton Stephens to double down thet right field line and drive in a run and make it 6-4.

The Mount would tack on two runs in the bottom of the fourth to push the lead to 8-4 before Central came back with three runs in the fifth. Bowens hit a two-run double down the left field line and junior Buddy Dewaine hit a two-single to drive in Bowens and make it 8-7.

Stephens led off the sixth with a solo homerun to tie the game, 8-8. 

In the seventh, Loda and Bowens reached base on a single and hit-by-pitch to open the inning. Matthews followed with a single to drive in a run and give the Blue Devils a 9-8 lead. 

Central led until the bottom of the ninth when Zach Costello led off with a solo homerun to tie the game and send the game to extra innings.

In the 12th, sophomore Matt Bertochi doubled to lead off and a single by Loda with one out put rrunners on first and second. With two outs, Matthews singled in the go-ahead run and Dewaine followed with another single to make it 11-9. Siracusa delivered a three-run homerun to give the Blue Devils a 14-9 lead. 

Senior Jared Gallagher would throw a perfect bottom of the inning and get the win in the game. He tossed 4.0 innings and had six strikeouts, while allowing just one run and one hit on the day. Junior Andrew Braun and senior Mike Appel combined to throw 4.1 shutout innings of relief.

Loda had four hits for CCSU and scored four runs. Bowens, Matthews, Dewaine and Stephens each had three hits. Matthews drove in four runs, while Bowens and Siracusa drove in two each.

GAME 2: CCSU 9, MOUNT ST. MARY'S 8
Central scored seven runs across the final two innings to hold on for a 9-8 win in the day's second game.

Mount scored a run in the bottom of the first before Central responded with two runs in the second via a homerun. Siracusa hit a one-out single and Stephens followed with his second homerun of the day to make it 2-1.

The Mount would regain the lead with two runs in the third and another in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.

Central would begin its rally with a four-run eighth inning. Siracusa would reach via an error with one out. Freshman Dan Covino would move Siracusa to third with a two-out single before the second error of the inning allowed Siracusa to score. Covino would steal second and Bertochi would walk to set the table for junior Chandler Debrosse who laced a double and drove in two runs to make it 5-4. Loda would follow with an RBI single to add to CCSU's lead at 6-4.

In the bottom of the inning, Mount responded with a two-run single and a two-run homerun to retake the lead at 8-6.

The Blue Devils bounced back in their final at bat and scored three runs, all with two outs. Stephens started the rally with a two-out single and after he moved to second on a wild pitch, freshman Jack Nolan laced a pinch-hit single to drive him in. Sophomore Christian Layne pinch-ran and moved to second on a wild pitch. Bertochi followed with an RBI-double to tie the game before Debrosse followed with a single to make it 9-8.

In the bottom of the ninth, Appel struck out the side to record his second save of the season. 

Junior Brandon Fox started and went 7.0 innings for CCSU. He was charged with four earned runs and recorded three strikeouts. Junior Michael Delease got the win after 1.0 inning of work in relief.

Loda had three hits and an RBI for the Blue Devils, who finished with 13 hits as a team. Debrosse had two hits and three RBIs, while Stephens had two hits, two runs and two RBIs.

The Blue Devils and Mountaineers wrap up the series on Sunday with a single game at 1:00 p.m.