May 4, 2008

Box Score

BRIDGEPORT, CT - The Sacred Heart baseball team out Central Connecticut 12-5 Sunday night, but the Blue Devils took advantage of five walks, a hit batter and four Pioneer errors to come away with an 8-5 victory in the conclusion of the four-game Northeast Conference series.

CCSU, 20-19 overall and 14-6 in the NEC, scored four times in the first inning on one hit. SHU starting pitcher Matt Fitton threw nine straight balls to start the game, walking two and hitting a batter. He also threw three wild pitches in the inning to allow a run to score. An infield error and an errant throw on a CCSU double steal allowed the other three runs to score.

The Pioneers, now 8-12 in the conference, got two runs back in the bottom of the first on RBI singles by Chris Whittemore and Steve Armato. They tied it in the second when Fitton tripled to left with one out and scored on an error by the CCSU shortstop on a ball hit by Phil Tantillo. Tantillo scored when Central starter Derek Roberts walked three straight batters.

Central took an 8-4 lead with four runs in the third on two hits. Jak Kidd reached on an error and Fitton walked the next two batters to load the bases. Tommy Meade followed with a two-run single to center. Sean Miller-Jones delivered another with a single to left.

Junior Taylor Kosakowski relieved Roberts to start the third and kept the Pioneers off the scoreboard until the sixth when Armato stroked a single scoring Ryan Lynch who had singled. It was the only run he would allow in seven strong innings of relief. He struck out seven and walked just one to even his record at 2-2.

Chris Zaccherio was equally as strong for SHU. He pitched five innings and allowed just one hit and one walk, while striking out three. Corey Corcoran pitched a scoreless ninth for the Pioneers.