The Quinnipiac baseball team fell to Central Connecticut State University 7-5 in a 12-inning battle on Senior Day.
The loss completed a four-game sweep of the Bobcats after losing on Friday and twice during a doubleheader Saturday.
With two outs in the top of the 12th, CCSU (23-7-1, 15-9 NEC) second baseman Sean Miller-Jones hit a go-ahead solo home run, putting CCSU up 6-5.
The Blue Devils scored one more run that inning to secure their lead.
The Bobcats (14-27, 10-18) rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the eighth inning to send the game into extra innings.
In the bottom of the eighth, Ben Farina ignited a rally with a double. Mickey Amanti followed and got on base with a walk.
Kyle Nisson singled into right field, scoring Farina and advancing Amanti to third. Chris Migani hit a two-run, bases clearing double.
With two outs, freshman Zak Palmer singled to drive in Migani to tie the game at 5.
“We were chasing them 4-1, then all of a sudden it’s 5-1…then we decided to make some action happen,” Quinnipiac head coach Dan Gooley said.
Matt Siciliano inherited a jam from Spencer Kane with the bases loaded and struck out the first two batters before walking in a run.
Siciliano then worked the next 4 2/3 innings allowing just one run on three hits, and escaped a one out bases loaded scare in the 11th.
But the Bobcats’ offense couldn’t get a run across against Josh Ingham, who held them scoreless through the final 4 2/3 innings and struck out eight hitters despite allowing five hits.
Siciliano was unable to match Ingham’s performance, as he took the loss when he allowed the home run to Miller-Jones in the 12th.
“We had our opportunities to score right there in the 10th inning and the 11th inning, but we couldn’t get it done,” Gooley said.
Before the eighth inning, the Bobcats scored only one run in the bottom of the sixth when Nisson drove in Farina, who tripled, on a sacrifice fly.
Farina finished 4-for-6 for the game, with a triple, double, and two singles. He is now six hits shy of tying Ryan Rizzo for second place for Quinnipiac’s all time hit leaders.
Kyle Birdsall gave up four runs, two earned, in the first six innings while striking out five.
“I thought the kid Birdsall was solid,” Gooley said. “His location was up a little more than we wanted.”
The Bobcats will host Fairfield on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. before going to Bryant for a four-game series.
Anthony • May 9, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Did Gooley manage to land Mariano Rivera, Jr. for next year’s team?
QU 10 • May 10, 2011 at 11:03 am
Jr. doesn’t even play for his high school team. If his name was Joe Smith, Gooley wouldn’t even know of him. Since his father is well known, he’ll be on the team. Baseball seems to be the weak link in QU athletics. The reason for that is the head coach and how the athletic department allows this to happen is inexcusable.
QU 10 • May 9, 2011 at 1:21 pm
When Gooley starts to actually do some recruiting, the program will start to win. It’s a shame that a school as popular as Quinnipiac can’t field a winning baseball program. It’s time for Gooley to go.