Coming off a walk-off victory over Yale on Wednesday afternoon, the Quinnipiac baseball team won three of four games against in-state rival Central Connecticut State University over the weekend. In the final game of the series on Sunday afternoon at the CCSU Baseball Field, the Bobcats defeated the Blue Devils 3-2 to clinch the series.
Tied at 2 through six innings, the Bobcats (10-25, 9-7 NEC) were revitalized heading into the top of the seventh. After a single by Mickey Amanti and a Blue Devil (17-15, 10-10 NEC) pitching change, Ben Farina doubled home Amanti for the winning run.
The first four runs came within the first six innings. In the first inning, Bobcat third baseman Joe Poletsky doubled to right field, driving in Farina who was on second. The Blue Devils responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the second, when Mitch Wells homered to right-center field.
The Bobcats took back the lead in the top of the third when sophomore second baseman Chris Migani made it to first on an error by shortstop Anthony Scialdone, moving Farina to second, Brian Monack to third and scoring Mike Bartlett for the second run. CCSU’s Kyle Zarotney drove in Tommy Meade from second in the sixth inning to tie the score again.
The Bobcats took the lead in the seventh and held on for a 3-2 victory.
The Bobcats also won the first and third games of the series, while losing the second. In the first game, the Bobcats trailed by one heading into the ninth inning. Gabe Guerino hit a two-run homer to right field, giving the Bobcats an 11-10 win. The Bobcats’ remaining six runs were scored by Farina, Monack, Migani (2), Kyle Nisson and Ryan Ullrich.
CCSU and Quinnipiac split the doubleheader on Saturday. CCSU won the first game with a score of 8-4. The Blue Devils scored all eight of their runs in the first six innings of the seven inning game. The Bobcats made a last attempt to even the score in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs. Guerino, Monack, Ullrich, and Bartlett each scored a run.
Quinnipiac won the second game of the day 13-4. The Bobcats had successful fourth and fifth innings, scoring five runs in each. Amanti, Monack, and Farina each crossed the plate three times, while Bartlett scored twice, and Poletsky and Ullrich each had one run.
The Bobcats will take on Monmouth in a four-game series on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Monmouth University Baseball Field in West Long Branch, N.J.
