In a dramatic start to the Atlantic East Conference double elimination tournament, Centenary Baseball fell just short in an 11-inning battle, dropping a 7-6 heartbreaker to Neumann University on Wednesday afternoon. Despite late-game heroics and another standout performance from Dominick Chiego, the Cyclones now face a must-win game Friday morning to keep their postseason hopes alive.
As he's done all season, Chiego anchored the Centenary offense, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. His clutch RBI single in the fourth inning tied the game at 2-2, setting the tone for a back-and-forth affair.
The Cyclones appeared to be in control after Greg Carrillo came through in extra innings. Carrillo, who went 1-for-5 on the day, delivered the game's biggest hit at the time—a two-run double in the top of the 10th inning that gave Centenary a 5-3 lead and sent their dugout into a frenzy.
Dominick Zinna added a powerful solo homer in the sixth, while Anthony DiGrande knocked in what would be Centenary's final run with an RBI single in the 10th.
On the mound, Louie Vassallo set the tone early, giving the Cyclones five solid innings with just two earned runs and three hits allowed. Zach Gehman was lights-out in relief, holding the Knights hitless over 3.2 innings while striking out two. But Neumann mounted a resilient comeback in the bottom of the 9th, scoring three runs to send the game to extras, and ultimately walking it off in the 11th off Anthony Aguilera, who took the loss after 1.1 innings of work.
The Cyclones (now facing elimination) will turn the page quickly, traveling to Shenandoah University for a Friday morning showdown with Immaculata University. It's win-or-go-home territory for Centenary as they look to keep their season alive.
