May 27, 2006

Box Score

LAKEWOOD, NJ - Junior pitcher Jay Monti (Marlboro, NY) struck out Seth Brown with the tying runs on base in the ninth inning to give Sacred Heart University a 10-8 win over #1 seed Central Connecticut and win the Northeast Conference baseball championship Saturday afternoon. The NEC title is the first for the Pioneers and propels them into their first-ever appearance in the NCAA playoffs that begin next weekend.

The Pioneers, 26-28 and winners of seven straight games, took a 9-0 lead in the fifth inning and seemed to have things well in hand but the power hitting Blue Devils continued to chip away.

SHU got four in the first off CCSU starter Hasani Franke despite only getting two hits. Josh Enos (Paulsboro, NJ) drove home one with a sacrifice fly, while Jeff Hanson (Woodstock, NY) singled home the second run. The other two runs scored courtesy of a throwing error by the Blue Devil second baseman.

The Pioneers made it 6-0 in the third inning off CCSU@reliever Derek Robers an RBI single by Hanson that scored Bobby McKee who had led of the inning by getting hit by a pitch. A sacrifice fly by Rob Tencza (Meriden, CT) scored Enos who had walked.

Jason Maiella (N. Haledon, NJ) help the Pioneers take a 9-0 lead against Evan Scribner with an RBI groundout that scored Enos who had singled. Tencza drove home his second run of the game with a single, scoring Hanson who had doubled. Tony Diaz gave the Pioneers the 9-0 edge with a sacrifice fly that chased home Tencza.

The Blue Devils, 33-18, scored two off of SHU starter Chris Howard (Ghent, NY) in the fifth. A one-out homer by BK McLaughlin in the sixth ended Howard's day, still leading 9-3. George Lamar (Briarcliff, NY) came on and got the final two outs of the sixth.

Matt Memoli hit a two-run homer to right in the seventh off Lamar to make it 9-5. After getting the first out of the eighth inning, Richie Tri reached against Lamar thanks to an error and head coach Nick Giaquinto brought Hanson in in relief. Hanson got the final two outs of the inning to send the game to the ninth.

In the final frame the Pioneers got an important insurance run. After the first hitter was retired, McKee and Enos both singled off Scribner. Adam Piechowski relieved Scribner and a passed ball on his first pitch moved both runners up. Hanson was then intentionally walked to load the bases. Maiella grounded out to second to score McKee from third and give the Pioneers a 10-5 lead.

Hanson started the ninth inning by walking Adam Taha. He then gave up singles to John Romano and Jay Schillaci to load the bases. A groundout to first by Memoli advanced the runners and scored a run. An throwing error by Tencza with catcher Scott Appleton up scored two more to make it 10-8.

Monti was called on for his first relief appearance of the season and hit McLaughlin to put two runners on. He got Tri to fly out to short left and struck out Brown looking on three pitches to end the game.

McKee, who hit .400 in the tournament and drove in five runs, was named the NEC Tournament MVP. Monti, pitcher Chris Aldrich and Hanson were all named to the All-Tournament team.

The Pioneers will find out on Monday what their destination will be for the NCAA playoffs.