Baseball Powers Past Sacred Heart, 11-3, on Friday

The Central Connecticut baseball team won its fifth straight Northeast Conference game with an 11-3 win at Sacred Heart on Friday at Veteran's Park. The Blue Devils scored seven runs in the opening three innings to take control of the game and give senior Andrew Braun more than enough run support.

GAME ONE INFORMATION
Score: CCSU 11, Sacred Heart 3
Records: CCSU (19-9, 16-6 NEC), SHU (17-19, 12-7 NEC)
Location: Veteran's Park | Bridgeport, CT
Pitching Record: W: Braun (6-1) | L: Jeter (5-3) | Sv: - -

KEY MOMENTS

• The Blue Devils opened the scoring with three runs on five hits in the first inning. Back-to-back singles by freshman Michael Torniero and junior Jay Devito put runners on the corners. Freshman Noah Martinez would plate a run with a sac fly, followed by a single by senior Buddy Dewaine to put runners on the corners again. Juniors Sam Loda and Peyton Stephens each hit RBI singles, sandwiched around a strikeout, to push the lead to 3-0.
• CCSU tacked on two runs in the second, both with two outs. Devito drew a walk and would score on a double by Martinez before Dewaine followed with an RBI-double to make it 5-1.
• Central got a pair of runs in the third. After senior Dave Matthews led off with a single, Stephens hit a homer to left to make it 7-1.
• CCSU tacked on a insurance run in the fifth. Devito would reach on a fielder's choice and advanced on a wild pitch. He would come around on an RBI-single by Martinez to make it 8-1.
• Sacred Heart managed two runs on a pair of solo homeruns off Braun. Elijah Brown hit a one-out homerun in the first and Justin Jordan led off the sixth with a homerun to left field.
• The Pioneers would get a run back in the eighth after a double by Austin Markmann would score Brown to make it 8-3.
• The Blue Devils extended the lead in the ninth with a two-run double by Matthews and an RBI-single by Loda to push the margin to 11-3.
• SHU loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, but sophomore Dylan Benton struck out Brown looking to end the game.

NUMBER TO KNOW

17 - CCSU collected 17 hits, tied for its second-most in a game this season. The Blue Devils have collected 10 or more hits in a game 11 times this season, including two straight contests.

NOTES

• Braun scattered four hits across 7.0 innings and got the win to improve to 6-1. He struck out four and did not allow a walk. In nine appearances this season, he has not allowed more than one walk in a game. He has 55 strikeouts to just five walks on the year.
• The first seven batters in the CCSU lineup accounted for 15 hits. The middle of the Central order (Martinez, Dewaine, Loda) combined to go 7-for-11 with five runs and six RBIs.
• Martinez went 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs, while Stephens went 3-for-4 with a run and three RBIs.
• Devito had two hits and scored three runs. He also drew a walk. He has reached base in every game this season and has a .537 on-base percentage, which ranks among the national leaders.
• The Blue Devils have won five of the last six meetings with the Pioneers, including three out of four this season.

UP NEXT

The teams will meet on Saturday at Dunkin' Donuts Park, the home of the Hartford Yard Goats. First pitch is slated for 2:45 p.m.