Box Score
New Britain, Conn. - The Long Island University baseball team wrapped up its season with a 16-10 loss at Central Connecticut State. The Blackbirds finished the season with a 14-42 record, going 11-21 in the Northeast Conference.
Long Island fell behind early in what would turn out to be a high-scoring affair when Central Connecticut’s Tommy Meade hit an RBI triple in the second inning to put the Blackbirds in a 1-0 hole. Long Island took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth when third baseman
Greg DeSantis hit a one-out single and moved to third on a pair of wild pitches. After a walk to first baseman
Derek Stupski, DeSantis scored on another wild pitch. One out later, leftfielder
Julian Castro knocked in Stupski with a double to left-center field.
The lead would be short-lived for the Blackbirds when starter
Chris Franzese found trouble in the bottom of the fourth despite striking out the first two batters. Franzese put runners on first and third with a walk and a single before an error plated the first of six Blue Devils runs in the frame. Sean Allaire followed with an RBI single and Richie Tri one-upped him, bringing home two runs with a single of his own. Pat Epps followed with a two-run double and give Central Connecticut a 7-2 lead and chase Franzese. Fellow freshman
Matt McCormick came in and immediately got a flyout to end the inning.
After the Blackbirds got one back in the sixth on a solo homer by DeSantis, the Blue Devils responded in a big way, scoring five times in the bottom of the inning to increase their advantage to 12-3.
Franzese fell to 0-7 on the season with the loss. In 3 2/3 innings, he allowed seven runs (one earned) on eight hits and one walk. He struck out four.
Extra bases. Long Island scored five times in the top of the seventh. The runs came on a pair of two-run singles by DeSantis and catcher
Tyler Jones and a run-scoring double-play groundout off the bat of Stupski… DeSantis finished the game 4-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored… Long Island played the full NCAA-allowable 56-game schedule for the first time in its history. The 56 games are the most ever by the Blackbirds, who had only two games rained out. A March 30 game at St. John’s was made up the next day and while Long Island lost its March 12 game against Central Michigan to a rain shower, the Blackbirds were able to add a game in a doubleheader at Rider on May 16.