By Chris McLaughlin
The CCSU baseball team got off to a rough start and was never able to recover, falling to UMass 8-3.
The Blue Devils (17-14-1) trailed 6-0 after the first three innings and despite Pat Epps two-run homerun, CCSU hardly threatened.
UMass (12-17) starter Ben Hart went eight strong, stifling Blue Devils batters on a cold rainy afternoon. The Blue Devils were out-hit 14-6, getting very little from its own pitching. While Nate Sturgis pitched well for three innings, the bulk of the damage was done off the first two pitchers. CCSU was able to get one back in the eighth, cutting the lead to three, but the Minutemen tacked on two more in the ninth. After a seven game win-streak, the Blue Devils have now dropped back to back games.
“We didn’t execute,” said Head Coach Charlie Hickey. “We tried to piece-mail this enough to give ourselves an opportunity, but then they got two more in the ninth.”
UMass hit two doubles in the first for one run, giving them the lead right from the start. The two runs UMass picked up in the second drove Blue Devil starter Donny Crook from the game. Crook’s replacement, Jason Foster, didn’t fare much better, allowing three more in the third. Crook and Foster gave up a combined six hits in the three innings they pitched.
“Crook and Foster didn’t do what there supposed to do,” said Hickey. “The conditions were tough, but this is what we play in. They have to be better.”
While CCSU struggled with its pitching, UMass did not. Hart cruised through the first three innings, giving up only one ht. Though the Blue Devils trailed big, the team showed signs of life in the fourth. After a lead-off walk to Mitch Wells, Epps turned on one, cranking it over the left field wall. J.P. Sportman followed up with a single, but a pop-out and then a double play ended CCSU’s rally.
“We didn’t execute. Epps had that one shot but that was it,” said Hickey. “We still have a lot of holes so we have to continue to evolve and develop”
The Minutemen were able to get to Blue Devil pitching early, but Sturgis came in and shut them down. Sturgis put in three innings of work, struck out four and didn’t allow a run. Though CCSU lost, Sturgis kept the game within reason.
“Sturgis really pitched well and we wonder why we didn’t have him in earlier.” said Hickey.
With the game at a standstill for three innings, the Blue Devils had an opportunity to close the gap in the eighth.
A Dylan Delacruz double put runners on second and third with only one out. A fielders choice got one run across, but also counted for the second out. Now with only one runner on base and two out, a pop out ended the inning.
Though the Blue Devils were able to build some momentum, UMass was able to pad its lead in the ninth. A bases loaded walk and a sac fly gave the Minutemen two more runs and helped put the game out of reach. The Blue Devils didn’t go down quietly in the bottom of the inning, picking up two hits, but the most noise made was on a foul ball that shattered the rear window of Hickey’s car.
“It’s a concern the way our offense has been lately,” said Hickey. “We are not built on hitting that three-run homerun, so we have to find a way to get more balls in play. Tomorrow is going to be one of the most important days for us, we’re going to have to prepare for this upcoming stretch of conference play.”
After six non-conference games, the Blue Devils begin a three game series against Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday. CCSU is in a three-way tie for third place in the conference and a series against the last place team should help them distance themselves.