Baseball's Season Ends in Extra Inning Setback to LSU
Central Connecticut was eliminated from the Eugene Regional in extra innings with a 6-5 loss to LSU on Saturday in the NCAA Baseball Tournament at PK Park in Eugene, OR. The Blue Devils scored five runs in the second inning and after the Tigers tied the game in the third, neither team's bullpen allowed another run until the bottom of the 10th.
The Blue Devils, who were playing in their seventh NCAA Tournament, finish the season with a 28-15 mark.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: CCSU 5, LSU 6
Records: CCSU (28-15), LSU (35-23)
Location: PK Park | Eugene, OR
Pitching Record: W: Fontenot (4-2) | L: Neuman (5-1) | Sv: - -
KEY MOMENTS
- The Tigers opened the scoring with two runs in the first. Dylan Crews led off with a homerun to open the scoring. LSU then followed with back-to-back singles, with Tre Morgan's base knock driving in a run to make it 2-0.
- The Blue Devils responded with a five-run outburst in the second inning. After consecutive singles to open the inning and a fly out advanced runners to second and third, junior Matt Bertochi dropped a single into centerfield to bring in a run and make it 2-1. Sophomore Dan Covino followed with a double to the wall in left fiel that scored a pair of runs and put CCSU on top. Following a ground out, freshman Noah Martinez clubbed a 1-1 pitch over the fence in right field to make it 5-2.
- LSU would tie the game in the third with a three-run inning. Crews opened the inning with his second homer of the day to open the scoring. A pair of singles would put runners in scoring position before Drew Bianco put a two-out double down the line in left field to tie the game at 5-all.
- The Tigers would get the walk-off win in the bottom of the 10th. After loading the bases with one out, LSU's Giovanni Digiacomo would line a single up the middle to bring in the winning run.
QUOTABLE
"It was a terrific baseball game," said head coach Charlie Hickey. "I love the fact that our team can compete at this level and play well. I'm extremely proud of their effort from the seniors to the freshmen. We were proud to represent our university today. It hurts today, but they'll enjoy this one for a long time, knowing they had a chance to play with some of the best in the country. We just came up a little short today.
NUMBER TO KNOW
0 - The CCSU bullpen of junior Dylan Sabia and freshman Jake Neuman did not allow a run over 5.1 innings before LSU's game-winner.
NOTES
- Martinez hit his seventh homerun of the season and extended his streak of reaching base to 20 games.
- Sabia tossed 3.0 scoreless innings in relief. He allowed two hits and had a pair of strikeouts.
- Bertochi posted his second two-hit game of the regional. He went 2-for-4 with a run and RBI.
- Freshman Hunter Pasqualini went 1-for-2 with a run. His current nine-game hit streak is the longest on the team.
- Senior Andrew Braun started for CCSU and did not factor in the decision. He struck out five and walked none in 4.0 innings.
- Braun and fellow seniors Brandon Fox, Buddy Dewaine and Dave Matthews closed their careers after helping CCSU play in its third NCAA Tournament in four seasons.
- CCSU played its third extra-inning game of the season, and it was its first in 15 NCAA Tournament games. Central scored 10 runs on Friday, it's highest run total in an NCAA game in program-history.
- The Blue Devils have made it the NCAA Tournament seven times, including three of the last four years. CCSU owns an all-time record of 1-14 in the NCAA Regionals.
UP NEXT
The Blue Devils will face the loser of Gonzaga/LSU in an elimination game on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.
