Box Score

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - The Southern Connecticut State baseball team dropped the final game of its season opening three game series at Barry on Sunday afternoon by a score of 5-3. A late comeback bid fell just short as the Owls drop to 0-3 to start the season, while the Bucs improved to 6-2. Seniors Nick Baviello (Orange, Conn.) and Julian Sobin (Ansonia, Conn.) each tallied three hits and a RBI in the game and sophomore McNeill Finnegan (Old Saybrook, Conn.) added two hits and a RBI. Junior Alex Wichmann (Granby, Conn.) also picked up a hit a RBI.

Junior Mike Yerina (Trumbull, Conn.) got the start on the mound for Southern. He tossed a total of 88 pitches over four innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits, while walking and striking out four. Junior Jordan Picini (Attleboro, Mass.) turned in a solid four innings of relief in his SCSU debut, allowing just one run on two hits.

For the second time in three games, the Bucs put a run on the board in the first inning. With one out, Yerina surrendered back-to-back hits as Barry used a triple and RBI single to go up 1-0. Barry added another run in the second on a ground ball.

The Bucs then added two more in the fourth after loading the bas with nobody out. A one out single forced in the first run before a wild pitch allowed the second run of the inning to score, making it a 4-0 game.

From there, the Owls were able to climb back into it, starting in the sixth. Baviello lined a two out double down the left field line, and scored one batter later when Sobin singled through the right side to get Southern on the board.

The Bucs answered with a run in their half of the sixth, before the Owls got another one back in the eighth. Finnegan smacked his second hit of the day to left field, scoring Baviello from third, making it a 5-2 game. Up next, Wichmann then ripped a shot to right field for a base hit, but a strong throw from the right fielder nailed Sobin at the plate as he tried to score from second, for the inning's second out, thwarting the team's rally.

Trailing by three headed to the ninth, the Owls got two on, and two out before Baviello lined his third hit of the game the other way to left field, scoring junior Jake Lieberman (Commack, N.Y.) to make it a two run game. Sobin then walked on five pitches to load the bases for Finnegan. Finnegan then bounced a 1-0 pitch deep into the hole at short, where the shortstop made a great backhand stop and a strong throw across to first just in time for the game's final out.

The Owl's will once again head south next weekend for a four game trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. Their first game will be on Friday, Feb. 20 against Mercy.