May 14, 2005

Box Score

NEW BRITAIN, CT - Central Connecticut scored a pair of runs on a throwing error in the bottom of the eighth inning to nip Sacred Heart 6-5 on Saturday afternoon in the Northeast Conference regular season finale.

Central Connecticut finished the season with a 19-28 overall record and a 10-14 mark in Northeast Conference play. Sacred Heart is now 19-31 overall and will finish the regular season in second place in the NEC with a 16-8 mark. The Pioneers will face #3 seed Monmouth in the first round of the NEC Tournament on Friday.

The Blue Devils struck first with a pair of two out runs in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman Jerome Schillaci singled and advanced to third on a single by catcher Scott Appleton. Schillaci scored on a wild pitch and Appleton scored on a single by sophomore Sean Salvatore to make it 2-0.

The Pioneers took their first lead of the game with three runs in the top of the sixth inning. Curtis Lewsey led off the inning with a walk and went to third on a single by Jay Monti. With two outs, catcher Chris Vartuli hit a three-run home run to left field to give Sacred Heart the 3-2 advantage. It was the fourth homer of the season for Vartuli.

Central Connecticut retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of runs and knocked out Sacred Heart starter Chris Howard in the process. Junior Dan Tarnowski walked to lead off the inning and went to third on a single by senior Tom Pezzello, who advanced to second on the throw to third. With one out, Appleton singled over the third baseman's head scoring both runners and giving the Blue Devils the 4-3 lead. Howard left the game pitching 6.1 innings allowing four runs, 10 hits and striking out three Blue Devil hitters.

Sacred Heart retook the lead with two unearned runs in the top of the eighth. Lewsey led off the inning reaching on a throwing error by the shortstop and advanced to second when Dan Garcia was hit by a pitch. Curtis Vartuli walked to load the bases followed by a two-run single from Pete Kandybowicz giving the Pioneers the 5-4 lead.

Central Connecticut plated two more runs to take a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth off of Pioneer reliever Jay Monti. With men on second and third, Tarnowski reached on a throwing error by the third baseman scoring senior John Blaze and junior Seth Brown who had both singled.

Central Connecticut starter Evan Scribner went eight innings allowing five runs, three earned, seven hits and four strikeouts. The win was his team-leading sixth of the season.