Central Connecticut State starting pitcher Cody Brown struck out 15 hitters as his team defeated the VMI Keydets, 4-2, in the seven-inning doubleheader finale between the teams Sunday at Gray-Minor Stadium in Lexington, Va. The game completed a CCSU (4-4) sweep of the three-game series.
Brown (1-0) was the story, as the lefty struck out every Keydet starter, save Jordan Tarsovich, at least once. He fanned multiple hitters in five of the seven innings and went no more than three hitters without a strikeout in the contest.
The Keydets (4-6) did strike first, however, when Tarsovich launched a home run to left center to put the Keydets up, 1-0, in the home half of the first inning.
CCSU took the lead for good against Austin Heenan in the third. A RBI single by Ian Glassman and a RBI double by Dominic Severino fueled a three-run inning that made it 3-1, CCSU.
The Keydets cut the lead to one in the fourth, as Brown plunked Ray Lopez with one out. The Keydet left fielder stole second with two outs and scored when Thomas Stallings won a nine-pitch battle with a RBI double, making it a 3-2 game.
Severino homered to lead off the sixth, however, and the Keydets did not advance a runner into scoring position the rest of the way.
While Brown got the win, Heenan took the loss despite pitching well in his first career start. He dropped to 0-1 after allowing four runs on eight hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out five.
Offensively, Tarsovich had a 2 for 3 game for VMI, while Glassman and Severino had two hits apiece for the visitors.
VMI baseball will return to action Tuesday, when the Keydets take on the Old Dominion Monarchs in Norfolk. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
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Chris Graham
