NEW BRITAIN, Conn.— The Sacred Heart Baseball team opened Northeast Conference play with a 6-2 victory over CCSU at CCSU Baseball Field on Friday afternoon. Junior James Taubl pitched a season-high eight innings for the Pioneers (6-14, 1-0 NEC), holding the Blue Devils (9-9, 3-1 NEC) to just two runs on the day.

The Pioneers offense broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth inning as freshman Elijah Brown started things off with a single through the right side. Senior Keith Klebart followed that up by driving the 3-1 offering from CCSU starter Brendan Smith to left center field to put runners on second and third with one out. Junior Dan Schock bashed his second home run of the season putting the 0-1 pitch over the left field fence to take the 3-0 lead. 

CCSU got one run back in the top of the fifth inning with a solo home run by TT Bowens to cut the SHU lead to 3-1. SHU continued to get on base in the bottom of the fifth as senior captains Jake Friar and Ted Shaw recorded back-to-back singles. After a strikeout, Brown yielded a walk prompting the Blue Devils to make a pitching change. Klebart then worked a six pitch at bat against reliever Patrick Mitchell into an RBI walk to bring the score to 4-1.

The Pioneers continued to hit in the bottom of the sixth inning as redshirt junior P.J. DeFilippo opened the inning to single to center field. He scored on the next at bat as junior Anthony Capozziello smacked a RBI triple to right center field pushing the lead to 5-1.  The next hitter, junior Cody Doyle singled to right field off the 1-1 pitch to bring the score to 6-1. 

CCSU looked to rally in the top of the seventh inning as Nick Garland opened with a double. The next batter, Nick Landell put a RBI triple to right center field to bring the score to 6-2. The Blue Devils threatened in the top of the eighth inning with back-back singles by Maher and Bowens with two outs but Taubl got Garland to fly out to left field to escape the jam. CCSU looked to put together a rally in the top of the ninth inning but sophomore reliever Jackson Aldam was able to close out the game, stranding two runners on base.

Schock recorded a season-high three RBI on the afternoon. Capozziello recorded his second three hit game on the season going 3-for-4 at the dish, he also stole two bases on the afternoon. Brown went 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. 

The Pioneers and Blue Devils square off in game two tomorrow at CCSU Baseball Field at 12:00 p.m.