BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (April 26, 2024) – The Sacred Heart University baseball team allowed the first four runs on Friday afternoon. Then, it scored the next nine. Four runs apiece in the fifth and seventh innings made the difference at Veterans Memorial Park, as the Pioneers chalked up a 9-5 win over Norfolk State in the opener of a three-game Northeast Conference series. Right-hander Jake Babuschak (Jobstown, Pa.) piled up a career-best 10 strikeouts and shook off a three-run second inning to keep his team in the game.
 
LIU and Wagner both won their respective games on Friday as well, which meant Sacred Heart (21-19, 16-6 NEC) remained in a three-way tie at the top of the NEC standings. The trio is three games clear of fourth-place Delaware State.
 
It was Norfolk State (11-30, 6-16 NEC) which struck first, as the Spartans got to Babuschak for three in the top of the second. Consecutive one-out singles from Jamal Ritter, Collin Curry and Kydese Queen collaborated to open the scoring, before Brendan Burke pulled a two-run double down the right-field line to take the game from scoreless to 3-0 in the span of just four batters.
 
NSU added another in the top of the fifth. Raphael Rodriguez walked with one out, moved to second on another walk and scored on an RBI single through the right side of the infield by Manny Jackson.
 
Through four innings, SHU had just two hits and had not advanced a runner past first base, but the Pio offense came alive in the home half of the fifth. Gavin Donohue (Melrose, Mass.) – who was 3-for-3 and scored twice on the day – led off with a single through the right side and moved to second when Joey Skarad (Stamford, Conn.) walked. Michael Simonelli (Milford, Conn.) followed and pulled an RBI single through the right side to get the home team on the board. An Alex Ungar (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) infield single plated Skarad, and then Dante D'Amore (Southington, Conn.) pulled an RBI single through the left side to score Simonelli. Ungar would come around to score on the play as well, to tie the game at 4-4, thanks to an error in left field.
 
Left-hander Jonathan Peterson (Florham Park, N.Y.) took over on the mound for SHU to start the top of the sixth and retired the Spartans in order, to get his team right back on offense. The Pioneers rewarded him with a run to take the lead in the bottom half, though they had some help from the NSU pitching and defense. Tim McGuire (Portsmouth, R.I.) was hit by a pitch leading off, moved up on a wild pitch and went to third when Skarad dropped down a sacrifice but reached on an error. Two batters later, Simonelli lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to cash in McGuire from third.
 
Peterson surrendered just a one-out single in the top of the seventh and then the Pioneers put the game on ice with a four-spot in the bottom half. Donohue and Skarad had RBI singles in the inning, while McGuire drove in a run with a fielder's choice and Tyler Galletti (Plainview, N.Y.) plated one with a pinch-hit groundout. SHU finished the game with 10 hits, but just one for extra bases.
 
Norfolk State picked up a run on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth to create the 9-5 final.
 
Babuschak surrendered the three early runs in the second, but got through five innings of four-run, five-hit ball on 84 pitches (55 strikes). He walked three, hit a batter and recorded his first collegiate double-digit strikeout performance with 10. Peterson (2-2) threw two scoreless innings, allowed one hit and struck out three to tally the win out of the bullpen.
 
Left-hander Dalton Barham (3-6) went six innings on 96 pitches (57 strikes) for Norfolk State. He was ultimately charged with five runs (three earned) on six hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out four.
 
The weekend series continues on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Vet.