NEWARK, Dela. – No. 5 Southern Connecticut State University defeated No. 4 Wilmington behind a brilliant and dominant performance on the mound by
Nick Guarino (East Haven, Conn.), who spun eight scoreless innings. The Owls improve to 31-13-1 overall and will advance to face the loser of the second game of the regional on Friday, May 20 at 11 a.m.
Guarino picked up his ninth win of the season after holding Wilmington scoreless through eight innings while giving up one run on nine hits and striking out three.
Chad Fedeli had a huge three-run double while
Connor Goggin, Dave Christoforo and
Mike Ferrett all had two hits and scored a run while Ferrett also drove in a run.
The game was a back-and-forth battle before the Owls' offense finally cracked the pitcher's duel at Wilson Field. Both starters in the game held the opposition scoreless, with both pitchers giving up four hits each, through the fifth inning. In the 6
th, Southern erupted for six runs, highlighted by
Chad Fedeli's double that cleared the bases that gave the Owls a 5-0 lead.
Tony Zambito then bunted Fedeli over to third before
Billy Sullivan dropped down a bunt on the first-base line to score Fedeli on the squeeze. Guarino was cruising as he sat down the Wildcats in order in the bottom of the 6
th.
Guarino was electric for the Owls, holding Wilmington scoreless thorugh six inning, while scattering four hits and striking out just one batter without walking a hitter. In addition to the four hits, Guarino allowed just one other runner, who reached on a throwing error by the Owls' pitcher on a come-backer to the mouind.
After a parade of awards for the top half of the lineup over the last two weeks, which features five all-conference student-athletes sitting 1-through-5 in the batting order, it was the Owls' 6 & 7 hitters, Christoforo and
Mike Ferrett, who both collected two hits for Southern.
Guarino was finally pulled in the bottom of the 9
th inning after giving up back-to-back runs that resulted in Wilmington pushing a run across. Guarino held the Wildcats scoreless through eight innings but was tagged for a run before recording an out in the bottom of the 9
th. He was lifted in favor of
Tommy Hughes, who closed out the game and gave the Owls the NCAA victory.
