It was a day of “uninspired” and “awkward” baseball from Central Connecticut’s baseball team, according to head coach Charlie Hickey, as the Blue Devils fell to out of conference Stony Brook by a score of 9-3.

Despite tallying nine hits compared to the Seawolves’ 10, the Blue Devils managed just three runs on the contest.

“It was a case that we don’t produce runs as much as we should,” Hickey said. “We had a first and second situation, we come up empty. And we have to try to figure that out because I’m not a fan of sacrificing in those situations but you have to be more productive.”

“We hit .234 as a team, it’s reflective of that. One inning, we got three hits and only one run. That’s something we have to improve on if we hope to be more successful,” Hickey continued.

But the offense was not the only woe for the Blue Devils, as they broke down defensively for what Hickey called the first time all year, giving up three errors.

“I think what you saw was a breakdown defensively in some situations wherein one case we could have gotten a double play out of it and we just gave them extra opportunities and when you do that, you pay the price. That four runs could have been one run,” Hickey said of the defense.

Hickey cited catcher Sam Loda throwing a ball into left field that led to a run in the top of the second and third baseman Jay Devito missing a ground ball in the forth.

Though junior Matt Shane yielded just three unearned runs in four innings of work, the Seawolves led 7-2 at the time of his departure from the game.

But there was one bright spot on the day for the Blue Devils and that was the return of junior first baseman TT Bowens to the starting lineup after being out since last March with a torn ACL in each knee.

Bowens tore the left ACL in a contest against Furman last year and proceeded to tear the right one while rehabbing in October.

Hickey wasted no time getting Bowens back into action, starting him at first base and batting him second in the lineup.

“The thought was that playing him in the field instead of DHing him would keep his legs from stiffening up,” Hickey said of the decision. “We tried to have him hang around to where he got three or four at-bats and then take him out of the lineup. I’m a bit curious to see how he feels tomorrow and what that means this weekend.”

The highlight of the game was Bowens legging out a triple in his second at-bat, testing out his surgically repaired knees.

“It was good. I was rounding bases and I wasn’t even thinking twice,” Bowens said of the triple.

The Blue Devils will resume Northeast Conference play this weekend when they take on Sacred Heart, who currently sits 1.5 games ahead of the Blue Devils in the standings.

If his team wants to get back in the thick of things in the standings, Hickey believes pitching and defense will be the key to overcoming the lack of run production.

“We’re going to have to pitch and play defense and try to string some of those hits together at the right time,” Hickey said.