BOX SCORE

Bridgewater, NJ - No. 2 Central Connecticut rallied for a 5-3 victory over No. 3 Wagner in the second game of the Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament presented by Akadema at TD Bank Ballpark. With the loss, the Green & White fall to 25-30 and will face No. 4 Monmouth tomorrow at 12:00 pm in an elimination game. The Seahawks will be the home team by virtue of winning a coin toss over the Hawks.

The Blue Devils improve to 30-20 and will now square off with top-seeded Sacred Heart, a 5-4 winner in the first game today, at 3:30 pm.

In the early going it was a pitchers' duel as both starting hurlers put zeros on the scoreboard through the first three frames. CCSU had a chance to break through in the early going, stranding runners in scoring position in each of the second and third frames, including leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the third as fifth-year senior RHP Matt Watson (Howell, NJ / Howell) induced an inning-ending fly out.

Senior Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA) then staked Wagner to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning with his school-record matching 16th home run of the year. His solo shot to right field also gave Avella a school-record 57 RBI on the year, while besting former Chicago Cubs farmhand Mike Cerminaro's 10-year mark of 56.

The Seahawks added to the lead with another run later in the fourth with a two-out rally. Junior Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) was hit by a pitch. After stealing second, he advanced to third an errant throw by the catcher on the play. Junior Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) then picked up Boyd with a RBI double to left field that just barely evaded a leaping Mitch Wells.

The Blue Devils got one of those runs back in the bottom part of the fourth inning but the damage could have been worse had it not been for Watson, who again left the bases loaded. Tommy Meade drew a lead-off walk before advancing to second on an Anthony Scialdone single to left field. Kyle Zartoney then plated Meade with a single to right center while pushing Scialdone to third base, before CCSU loaded up the bases on an errant throw by Watson on Danny Hickey's sacrifice bunt attempt.

Watson then buckled down, inducing a line out to second base. NEC Player of the Year Sean Allaire followed with a rocket back up the middle that Watson knocked down, before getting the lead runner at home. Watson, the reigning NEC Pitcher of the Year, got out of the jam by getting Richie Tri to ground out weakly to first base.

The Blue Devils again left a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth inning when Watson induced a fly out with Meade at second base.

Wagner got that run back with an unearned tally in the top of the sixth inning. Avella reached on a fielding error by the third baseman before moving to second on a ground out. After advancing to third on a balk, he scored on a Boyd infield single against a drawn in infield, extending the lead to 3-1.

CCSU then tied the game with a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sean Miller-Jones drew a two-out walk before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Allaire then singled to left field, cutting the deficit to 3-2 with a RBI single that plated Miller-Jones. Watson was then lifted from the game and Tri greeted junior Ryan Van Spronsen (Brantford, Ontario / Assumption) with a bloop single to left center. On the 3-2 pitch, Allaire was moving on the play and en route to third base when an errant throw got away from the third baseman, allowing the Blue Devil runner to tie the score up at 3-3.

Watson exited after 5.2 innings of three-run ball, striking out a season-best matching four while scattering six hits and five walks. The fifth-year senior also retired five of the six lead-off hitters he faced as the Blue Devils went just 2-for-9 (.222) with runners in scoring position against him.

CCSU took its first lead of the game at 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh with an unearned run. Kyle Zarotney reached via a fielding error before scoring on Danny Hickey's RBI-triple to left field.

The Blue Devils added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning. With one out, Tri singled to left center before advancing to third on a Pat Epps double down the left field line. After an intentional walk, Meade extended the lead out to 5-3 with a sacrifice fly to deep right field.

Wagner threatened in the ninth inning when Damian Csakai (Sr., Freehold Township, NJ / Freehold Township) singled with two outs, but the senior centerfielder would be left stranded as CCSU closed out the 5-3 victory.

CCSU's LHP Dave Krasnowiecki (7-2) went the distance, allowing three runs, two earned, on nine hits and one walk while striking out six over a career-high 9.0 innings. Van Spronsen (2-7) was the tough-luck loser, striking out three while allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits and two walks over 2.1 innings.

After going 0-for-15 against the Blue Devils over four games earlier in the year, Csakai went 3-for-4 while being plunked by a pitch for the school-record 43rd time. Boyd was 2-for-3 with a run, RBI, stolen base and was hit by a pitch while McDonnell went 2-for-4 with a RBI double as the Green & White pounded out nine hits.

Tri was 3-for-5 with a run while Scialdone went 2-for-5 as CCSU rapped out 10 hits.

Notes: CCSU improves to 4-1 against Wagner this year and is 13-6 against the Seahawks over the last four years while avenging the Green & White's 6-5 victory over the Blue Devils in an elimination game last season … In each of Wagner's last four tournaments, the Seahawks have squared off with CCSU with the Blue Devils winning three times … There were five errors in today's game after the teams combined for just two miscues in their earlier four-game series ... The Green & White will now turn its attention to Monmouth … Wagner won three-of-four from the Hawks this year with each game being decided by three runs or less … The teams also met in last year's tournament with Monmouth winning 14-8 in the opening round ... Avella went 1-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored and is now batting .357 (25-70) with 10 doubles, six home runs, 13 RBI and 15 runs in 19 career games against CCSU ... Earlier in the day, his brother Danny was 2-for-3 for the Hawks in the first game ... Csakai also has big numbers against the Blue Devils in his career, batting .355 (27-76) with 12 stolen bases and eight runs.