#3 CCSU 6, #1 LIU 5
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Wappingers Falls, NY -- In a game - and championship - defined by grit, pitching depth and staying power, third-seeded Central Connecticut added another historic chapter on Sunday afternoon.

The Blue Devils outlasted top-seeded LIU in a 12-inning thriller, claiming a 6-5 victory in game seven of the 2025 NEC Baseball Championship at Heritage Financial Park to capture their record-extending ninth conference title and fifth in the last eight years.

Sunday’s epic finale marked a historic first: a winner-take-all Game 7 that needed extra innings for the first time to crown a champion.

Tournament MVP Wyatt Cameron delivered a legendary performance, pitching in all four CCSU games and turning in a career-long 4.2 innings of scoreless relief in the finale. The All-NEC reliever, who had already secured two saves during the tournament, allowed just three hits and struck out three to earn the win in the longest game seven - and tied for the longest game ever - in tournament history. Cameron posted a 1.74 ERA and limited opponents to just six hits across 10.2 pressure-packed innings in his four appearances.

The winning run came on a wild sequence in the top of the 12th. With Brady Short on second, LIU starter-turned-reliever Nicholas Finarelli entered the game for his first bullpen appearance of the season. After a flyout moved Short to third, Finarelli struck out Chris Brown, but the ball got away, allowing Short to score on the wild pitch.

Looking to shut the door once again, Cameron hit the leadoff batter in the bottom half of the frame, but locked it down from there, striking out the next two hitters before ending the game on a flyout to left.

CCSU (31-15) earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will play in the regional round next weekend

LIU, which forced a game seven in dramatic fashion earlier in the day, came within one game of repeating as NEC champion and closed out the year with a 35-23 record.

The Blue Devils started out with a bang, racking up three runs on a trio of hits in the top of the first. Designated hitter Colby Brouillette doubled down the left field line to score Short and put CCSU on the board. NEC Player of the Year Aidan Redahan followed with a run scoring single up the middle to send Brouillette home. Brown smoked a double to right to make it a 3-0 advantage for the Blue Devils.

LIU methodically worked its way back into the game.

Designated hitter Jacob Pipercic tripled to right center to lead things off for the Sharks, and Benjamin Fierenzi brought him in on a groundout.

Max Samson made it 3-2 when he singled through the right side to plate Noah Sorensen in the second.

Two innings later, Jarod Wade laced a two-run single to left center that gave LIU its first lead of the game at 4-3.

CCSU evened the game at 4 in the fifth on a pair of doubles with Redahan hitting a wall ball to drive in Short.

Ducatelli picked up where the NEC Player of the Year left off, drilling a double into deep left field to bring home Gianno Merlonghi and reclaim the lead for the Blue Devils in the sixth inning.

LIU grinded out a run in the eighth inning to tie things up.

With Jack Power on second Cameron came on in relief of Vincent Borghese, who took the hill for the second time in the tournament and went 7.1 innings. Noah Sorenson walked and after the runners advanced on a ground out, LIU's Max Samson came up with the clutch hit - his fourth of the game - through the left side of the infield. Power scored, but Sorensen was cut down at the plate on a laser from Ducatelli, who also made a pair of higlight reel catches earlier in the game.

The two teams combined for just two hits in extra innings - both by LIU - until CCSU finally broke through in the 12th.

Borghese allowed five runs on nine hits. He tossed 13.2 innings in his two outings and picked up the win in Friday's 8-3 win over Wagner.

Torin Kassebaum was sparkling in relief for the Sharks, allowing just one run on two hits over 5.2 innings. He held the Blue Devils hitless for five straight innings until giving up a pair of singles in the 12th.

Short scored three times for the Blue Devils and Redahan had a pair of RBI.

NEC All-Tournament Team
Wyatt Cameron, CCSU (MVP)
Vincent Borghese, CCSU
Antonio Ducatelli, CCSU
Kyle Gordon, CCSU
Nicholas Finarelli, LIU
Ryan Rivera,LIU
Garrett Yawn, LIU
Lukas Torres, WC
Jack Thorbahn, STO

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#1 LIU 8, #3 CCSU, 7
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Wappingers Falls, NY -- Top-seeded LIU forced a decisive game seven in an NEC Baseball Championship classic at Heritage Financial Park.

Needing a win to keep their season alive, the Sharks edged third-seeded Central Connecticut, 8–7, on Ryan Rivera’s walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.

LIU rode a gutsy, heroic effort from NEC Pitcher of the Year Garrett Yawn, who went eight innings on just one day of rest. The California native allowed five runs on nine hits, while striking out four. The veteran ace threw 255 pitches and 172 strikes over 17.0 innings pitched in his two tournament appearances.

The win didn’t come easy as the Sharks had to hold off a furious comeback bid in the ninth by a pesky Blue Devils squad looking to clinch its ninth NEC title.

Trailing 7-2 in the eighth inning, Antonio Ducatelli plated Chris Brown on a sac fly and Kyle Gordon, who went 2-for-4, doubled to right center to bring in one more to cut the deficity to 7-4.

CCSU came out swinging in the top of the ninth.

After Brady Short walked to open the inning, Yawn's day came to an end after 121 pitches. The Blue Devils then loaded the bases against reliever Evan Panjwani. Brown's sacrifice fly to right brought the Blue Devils within two. First baseman Bo Yaworski and right fielder Gianno Merlonghi followed with run scoring singles, and just like that, the game was knotted at 7 apiece. Ducatelli drew a walk to reload the bases, but Torin Kassebaum put out the fire, retiring the next two batters in order.

One run is all that was needed for the Sharks.

Squaring off against All-NEC reliever Wyatt Cameron - who earned saves in his first two tourney games - All-Conference first baseman Jack Power reached base on an error and LIU brought in George Sansone to pinch run. Sansone advanced all the way to third on a wild pitch, setting up Rivera's heroics.

LIU started out red-hot putting up a six-spot in the first inning to immediately take control.

Second baseman Benjamin Fierenzi singled through the right side to score Jacob Pipercic and All-NEC first baseman Jack Power followed with a two-run moon shot to right field. A pair of singles from Jarod Wade and Chandler Ketchup brought in two more runs. Fierenzi drew a walk with the bases juiced to make 6-0.

Max Samson added an RBI double in the bottom of the second to bring LIU’s run total to seven.

The Blue Devils got their first two runs off a Ducatelli single in the top of the second and an RBI double from catcher Matt Falk in the fourth.

Kassebaum earned the win with a perfect two-thirds of an inning.

Cameron was charged with the loss.

Fierenzi and Power led the way for the Sharks with two RBIs apiece, while Merlonghi went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI.

It marked the sixth time since 2018 that the NEC Championship round has gone to a seventh game.