Pioneers Rallied but Ultimately Fell to CCSU

Tuesday, March 31

New Britain, CT

3 p.m.

Sacred Heart

6-19

Central Connecticut

7-11

Sacred Heart

Central Conn. St.

Pioneers Rallied but Ultimately Fell to CCSU

3/31/2026 7:03:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

New Britain, Conn. – The Pioneers set the tone early and never backed down, battling through a tough middle stretch before stringing together a determined late-game rally.

By: Julia Groff

New Britain, Conn. – The Pioneers set the tone early and never backed down, battling through a tough middle stretch before stringing together a determined late-game rally.

Records
Sacred Heart | 6-19 (4-5 MAAC)
Mount St. Mary's | 7-11

Top Performers
Peter Link: 3-5, 3 R, double
Ronan Donohue: 2-5, RBI
Will Rudolph: 2-6, RBI
Ryan Rey: 1-5, RBI
CJ Nolan: 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR
Will Cook: 2-5
Nathan Bowes: 1-3, R
Dave Yorke: 1-1, R, 2 RBI, HR

Andrew Sager: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R (0 ER)
Graham Willerer: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R (0 ER)
Jon Peterson: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R (0 ER), 1 SO
Hector Alejandro: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R (0 ER), 1 SO

How It Happened
The Pioneers came out swinging right away. In the top of the first, Link laced a double into the left-center gap, and Rudolph followed with a base hit to bring him home, giving the Pios an early 1–0 edge.

CCSU answered in the bottom half, erupting for six runs.

Cook tried to spark something in the second with a single, but the bats stayed quiet until the fourth, when Nolan launched a solo shot to cut the deficit to 6–2.

CCSU put up another six-run inning in the fourth to stretch the lead to 12–2.

Peterson and Alejandro each came up with strikeouts in the middle innings to slow the damage.

Nolan provided another highlight in the seventh, blasting his second solo home run of the game to make it 12–3.

The Pios showed some late fight in the eighth. Bowes started things with a single, Yorke followed with a two-run homer, and a string of hits from Link, Ronan Donohue, and Rey helped chip away at the deficit, closing the gap to 12–6.

They weren't done yet. In the ninth, Kidwell drew a walk and Link reached again before Ronan Donohue drove in another run. Rudolph later reached on an error that allowed Link to score, capping off a persistent late push.

Up Next
The Pioneers head to Clover Stadium in Pomona, New York for a series against Manhattan. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, 3:00 p.m. Friday, and 1:30 p.m. Saturday.