Sacred Heart Stays Unbeaten and Monmouth Eliminated in NEC Tournament
May 28, 2010
Sacred Heart out-slugged its cross-state rival Central Connecticut, 8-3, to remain unbeaten at the 2010 Northeast Conference Baseball Championship presented by Akadema. SHU starter Jared Balbach limited the NEC’s top offensive team, which entered batting .351, to a season-low four hits. Balbach’s ninth win of the season means Sacred Heart is one win away from the NEC title. CCSU will face Wagner in an elimination game on Saturday at 12:00 pm with the winner to face Sacred Heart at 3:30 pm. Wagner advances to the tournament’s third day after eliminating Monmouth, 9-4, in the first game on Friday. The Seahawks received 7.0 strong innings from starter Jon Lucas and a record-setting day from first baseman Vin Avella. All games will be broadcast live by the PackNetwork on NortheastConference.TV.
Game Three: #3 Wagner 9, #4 Monmouth 4
Click Here for Box Score
Wagner used a pair of four-run innings and strong start from Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown) to eliminate Monmouth from the 2010 NEC Baseball Championship presented by Akadema. The No. 3 seed Seahawks downed the No. 4 seed Hawks, 9-4, on Friday afternoon at TD Bank Ballpark.
Lucas tossed 7.0 innings of one-run ball to earn his fourth win of the season.
The offense staked Lucas to an 8-0 lead by plating four runs in the third inning and another four in the fifth.
It was actually the pitcher, himself, who kick-started the Seahawks at the plate. After catcher Gaby Ramirez (San Juan, Puerto Rico) walked to lead off the third inning and moved to second on a sac bunt, Lucas singled him home to open the game's scoring.
First baseman Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ/CBA), who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI, followed by blasting a two-run bomb to dead centerfield in the third. The home run was his 17th of the year, setting Wagner's single-season record.
The Seahawks tacked on an unearned to hold a 4-0 lead after three.
Avella was back at it in the fifth frame, singling to start a one-out rally. He would come around to score on a single by Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy).
Monmouth starting pitcher Nick Meyers (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) gave way to freshman Neil Harm (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) with two on and two out in the inning and Wagner skipper Joe Litterio countered with a move of his own. Litterio called upon Matt Logan (Wall, NJ/Wall) to pinch hit and hit he did.
Rudely greeting Harm, Logan sent the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for a three-run homer and an 8-0 Wagner lead.
Monmouth finally broke through in the seventh inning on a solo shot by junior Nick Pulsonetti (Old Tappan, NJ/Northern Valley). The Hawks added another three runs in the ninth on a home run by designated hitter Bobby Dombrowski (Denville, NJ/Seton Hall), who finished 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBI.
Game Four: #1 Sacred Heart 8, #2 Central Connecticut State 3
Click Here for Box Score
Central Connecticut State came into the weekend averaging 13 hits per game, but it didn't seem to matter when CCSU faced Sacred Heart senior southpaw Jared Balbach (Pine Bush, NY/Pine Bush) on Friday in the winner's bracket of the 2010 Northeast Conference Baseball Championship presented by Akadema.
Balbach limited the Blue Devils to three runs on a season-low four hits, going the distance to pick up an 8-3 victory that puts Sacred Heart one win away from the NEC crown.
After retiring the first three batters he faced, Balbach ran into some early trouble in the second inning. CCSU junior Pat Epps (Waterford, CT/Waterford) laced a lead-off double down the right field line. He would come around to score on a fielding error and the Blue Devils tacked on another unearned run to take a 2-0 lead.
Bouncing back, Balbach responded by tossing three straight hitless innings while his offense went to work.
The Pioneers plated three runs in the fourth frame and another five in the fifth to stake Balbach out to an 8-2 lead.
Freshman outfielder Dave Boisture (Highland Mills, NY/Blair Academy) was in the middle of it all, driving in four runs. After recording an RBI on a fielder's choice in the fourth inning, Boisture blasted his first career home run, a three-run shot, one frame later.
The win was Balbach's team leading ninth of the season. Logging his seventh complete-game effort, he threw 141 pitches to put SHU on the cusp of a conference title.
"Jared's great performance today was an accumulation of his four years at Sacred Heart," said SHU head coach Nick Giaquinto. "He has worked hard since he was a freshman and I'm glad it paid off for him today."
Central Connecticut State entered the game batting .352 on the season, highest in the NEC.
NEC Championship Headquarters: http://www.northeastconference.org/sidebar.asp?id=846&path=baseball
Add a Comment
Please be civil.