Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - The Southern Connecticut State baseball team opened up its 2015 season on Saturday by dropping a pair of games at Barry University. The Bucs took game one by a final score of 9-3, before completing the sweep with a 10-1 victory in the nightcap. The Bucs improved to 5-2 overall with the pair of wins, while the Owls begin the season at 0-2.

Game One:
The Bucs jumped on the Owls early for a quick five runs off senior Pat Egan (Aberdeen, N.J.). After two walks and two singles plated the first run, Jonathan Quintana hammered a 1-1 pitch over the left-center field wall for a grand slam, giving the Bucs a 5-0 lead in the first inning.

The Owls were able to answer with two quick runs of their own in the top of the second, as junior Alex Wichmann (Granby, Conn.) lined a RBI double down the left field line, scoring sophomore Greg Zullo (Branford, Conn.) from second, to put the Owls on the board. Wichmann then moved up 90 feet on a passed ball, before sophomore McNeill Finnegan (Old Saybrook, Conn.) drove him in with a sac fly to right field, making it 5-2.

After loading the bases with no outs in the third, Egan dug down and struck out the next three batters he faced to escape the inning unscathed. The Bucs added one more run in the fourth on a sac fly, closing the book on Egan who allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits over 3.1 innings of work, striking out six.

After surrendering two more runs in the fifth, Southern notched its final run of the ballgame in the sixth inning. Senior Nick Baviello (Orange, Conn.) led off with a single to left, before advancing to second on a ground ball. Wichmann then came through with a two-out double, scoring Baviello from second to make it 8-3. Barry added its final run in the seventh inning to bring the final score to 9-3.

Freshman Griffin Bremer (Higganum, Conn.) struck out five batters over 4.2 innings in his collegiate debut, earning a no decision. Redshirt junior Matt Burns (Cheshire, Conn.) led the team with four hits and two stolen bases in game one.

Game Two:
The Owls managed two hits in game two, both of which came in the fifth inning. Finnegan led off the frame with a double to center field, before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Three batters later, junior Jake DeRosa (North Haven, Conn.) drove him in with a single for the team's lone run of the game, cutting the Barry lead to 8-1.

After picking up a run in the second, the Bucs blew the game open with a seven spot in the fifth. Senior starter A.J. Turnier (Waterford, Conn.) three hits and four runs, two earned over three innings of work. Freshman Jake Santamaria (Oceanside, N.Y.) took the loss in relief allowinng two earned runs, three hits and three walks over 2.1 innings of work.

Southern will complete its three game series at Barry tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.