Baseball Wins Friday's Series Opener Against FDU

The Central Connecticut baseball team won a matchup of the top two teams in the Northeast Conference, winning 4-2 against FDU on Friday in the series opener in New Britain, CT.  Dominic Niman allowed one run over seven innings, and a three-run sixth inning for the Blue Devils proved to be the difference.

The Blue Devils and Knights are scheduled to play at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE

Game 1 | Score: CCSU 4, FDU 2
Pitching Record: W: Niman (8-1) |  L: Feretic (0-2) | Sv: Garofalo (7)
Records: CCSU (24-8, 19-3 NEC), FDU (25-14-1, 15-7 NEC
Location: CCSU Baseball Field | New Britain, CT

KEY MOMENTS

• After Niman got a pair of strikeouts to leave two Knights stranded and end a scoring threat in the second inning, FDU managed to push across a run in the fourth inning. Brian Sanders hit a one-out double to center field and moved to third on a fly out. Justin Sierra would hit a two-out single to drive in Sanders and make it 1-0.
• Central would threaten in the fifth inning, loading the bases with nobody out, but the Knights would escape the inning unscathed. In the sixth inning, Joe Rios led off with a triple and scored on a double by Jeff Nicol to make it 1-1. Nicol would advance on a ground out and then scored on what should have been a fielder's choice, but an error allowed Mike Torniero to reach base. Torniero would steal second and then come around to score on the second Knights error of the inning to make it 3-1.
• Ramon Jimenez tripled to lead off the seventh inning and would score on a Rios sac fly to plate an insurance run, making it 4-1.
• The Knights got a run back in the eighth after Brelon Harden drew a lead off walk and came around to score on a single by Sanders and make it 4-2.

NOTES

• The Blue Devils have won six straight meetings against the Knights.
• With the win CCSU clinched a spot in the Northeast Conference Tournament.
• Niman retired the final seven batters he faced and finished his day allowing just one run on five hits, while striking out seven and walking just one.
• Luke Garofalo recorded his seventh save of the season with a perfect ninth inning.
• Vincent Spizzoucco tossed the eighth inning and allowed an unearned run and had a strikeout. He has allowed just one earned run across his last seven appearances.
• Rios went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run in his first appearance since April 6.
• Jimenez and Nicol each had two hits for the Blue Devils. Nicol also threw out two would-be basestealers.
• Good extended his hitting streak to 18 games with his leadoff single in the fifth.

UP NEXT

The Blue Devils and Knights are scheduled to play at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Follow @CCSUBlueDevils on Twitter and CCSUBlueDevils.com for updates.