Box Score / Box Score (PDF)

New Britain, CT - Central Connecticut State overcame an early two-run deficit in posting a 6-2 win over Wagner in the series finale between the teams at the CCSU Baseball Field. The Blue Devils, which win the series by a 3-1 count, improve to 23-21 and 15-13 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) as the Seahawks fall to 19-27 and 12-12 in the league.

The Green & White had its opportunities, but hit into two crucial double plays with the bases loaded in both the second and seventh innings en route to stranding 10 runners on the afternoon and was just 1-for-8 (.125) with runners in scoring position.

Wagner assumed a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a pair of hits. Senior Tommy Higgins (Port Monmouth, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) laced this one-out double to left center, before coming around to score on this RBI single to right field off the bat of Nick Dini's (Fr., Monroe Township, NJ / Monroe Township).

The Seahawks pushed the lead out to 2-0 in the top of the second inning when junior Jayson Keel (Starkville, MS / Starkville / Holmes CC), who led off the frame with a double, scored on a wild pitch.

CCSU would get on the board with an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning as Josh Ingham plated Bobby Migliazza with a RBI ground out.

The Blue Devils would again threaten in the bottom of the sixth inning, placing runners at first-and-second with no outs. However freshman RHP Matt Watson (Howell, NJ / Howell) induced a fly out and a pop up for the first two outs, before striking out Migliazza with this offering.

In the top of seventh inning, Wagner appeared poised to add to the lead. Freshman Jason Gordon (Baltimore, MD / Archbishop Curley) got aboard safely for the third time with his second hit of the game. After moving to second on classmate Mitchell Dressing's (Beachwood, NJ / Toms River South) sacrifice bunt, the Seahawks loaded up the bases on walks to sophomore Ian Miller (Downingtown, PA / Bishop Shanahan) and Higgins. Unfortunately, reliever Nick Boyd quelled the threat by inducing an inning-ending double play.

In the bottom part of the frame, CCSU took its first lead of the game on Mitch Wells' two-out, two-run triple to right center, before JP Sportman pushed the lead out to 4-2 with a RBI single.

The Seahawks posted a two-out rally in the top of the eighth inning as Keel and graduate student Bill Murphy (Cranford, NJ / Roselle Catholic / Rutgers) got aboard with singles. However, Ingham, who moved from second base to the mound at the beginning of the frame, stranded the pair by inducing an inning-ending fly out.

In the bottom of the inning, the Blue Devils added to the lead with two more runs in posting the final 6-2 score.

Keel led the way for Wagner, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run, while Miller recorded his team-leading 19th multiple-hit game and his NEC-best 27th stolen base in finishing up 2-for-3 with a pair of walks. Rounding out the multi-hit performers was Gordon, who was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Watson (1-4) was the tough-luck losing pitcher, striking out two while yielding four runs, three earned, on six hits and a walk over 7.0 innings of work.

Jake Matuszak and Wells each went 2-for-4 to pace a 10-hit CCSU offense.

Boyd (3-1) earned the win in relief, while Ingham collected his seventh save of the year 2.0 scoreless innings.

Wagner is next in action against NJIT on Tuesday, May 1 at 7:00 pm at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

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