NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (April 8, 2023) – The Pioneers led by one after the top of the ninth. The game went to the 10th inning. The Pioneers led by two after the top of the 10th. The game went to the 11th inning. The Pioneers led by four after the top of the 11th.
That, it turned out, would be enough.
A four-run top of the 11th would finally stand as the difference at CCSU Baseball Field on Sunday afternoon. The Sacred Heart University baseball team pulled out a 10-7 victory over Central Connecticut State in the finale of the Northeast Conference series between the two teams. Sam Mongelli (Marlboro, N.Y.) hit his third home run in the last four games for the Pios in the victory.
Trailing 3-2 through six innings, SHU (14-14, 9-6 NEC) struck for the lead in the top of the seventh. Tyler Galletti (Plainview, N.Y.) and Tim McGuire (Portsmouth, R.I.) had one-out singles to set the table for Dante D'Amore (Southington, Conn.), who tied the game by dumping an RBI single into right field. Two batters later, Mark Smith (East Haven, Conn.) pulled a single through the left side to plate McGuire with the go-ahead run.
The 4-3 lead held until there were two outs in the last of the ninth. Right-hander Tyler Briggs (Franklin, Conn.) got a ground ball to first which should have ended the ballgame then and there, but D'Amore's flip went behind the pitcher covering and got away to extend the inning. Dan Hussey wound up on second on the play, and Hunter Pasqualini immediately cashed him in with a game-tying single to right field.
Undeterred, the Pioneers reclaimed the lead with a pair in the top of the 10th. Mongelli pulled a one-out single through the left side, before back-to-back two-out walks loaded the bases for D'Amore. The first baseman – who drove in five on the afternoon – atoned for his ninth-inning miscue and knocked a two-run single back through the middle of the infield to give SHU a 6-4 lead.
Things got heated right away in the last of the 10th. Briggs and Derek Haughey locked into a full-count battle, with the latter taking a payoff pitch that hit the target set by catcher Dennis Gamester (West Haven, Conn.). The home plate umpire was unmoved and sent Haughey to first base with a walk, which drew the ire of the SHU dugout, and head coach Pat Egan earned a warning for his objections.
That brought Danny Rogers to the plate, and the first pitch of his at-bat was close, but called a ball as well. The 1-0 pitch was to Rogers' liking, and by the time it returned to the ground, it was on the other side of the right-field fence, for a game-tying, two-run home run. Unsurprisingly, the dinger also led to Egan's ejection, as he and the plate umpire had seen enough of each other for the day.
A single and a sacrifice bunt followed, at which point assistant coach TK Kiernan went the bullpen. First-year right-hander Mitch Hawkins (Southbury, Conn.) entered in the most high-leverage situation of his young career: on the road, in extra innings, his head coach ejected, and the winning run on second base with one out against an intrastate rival. Hawkins locked up Elliot Good on a called third strike, and then got a slow bouncer on the right side. Ryan Donnelly (Fairfield, Conn.) fielded in the hole, but realized he had no play at first. Smartly, he held, saw the lead runner rounding third and fired home to cut down the winning run and end the inning.
This time around, the Pioneers made sure of things, with a four-spot in the top of the 11th. After a one-out walk, they got some help from the CCSU defense, as Jimmy Sullivan dropped a routing fly ball deep in the gap in right-center to put runners at second and third. An intentional walk loaded the bases, and then Donnelly poked a go-ahead single through the left side. John Greene (Naugatuck, Conn.) followed and worked a walk to force home the second run, and then D'Amore provided the knockout blow, as he lashed a two-run single into right field to make it 10-6.
CCSU (17-6, 13-2 NEC) scratched out a run in the last of the 11th, but Hawkins (3-1) shut the door from there. Left-hander Randy Reyes (0-2) suffered the loss for the Blue Devils, as he was charged with four runs, but just one earned, over two-thirds of an inning.
SHU is on the road at Army on Wednesday, then returns home for eight straight, beginning with a three-game series against Fairleigh Dickinson April 14-16.
