THE LEAD
DBU used five home runs on Sunday afternoon to defeat the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils, 6-4, in an elimination game at the Fort Worth Regional. Four of the Patriot home runs were solo shots, including two from Austin Listi, and Camden Duzenack picked up the only multi-run home run for DBU (41-20) on a day that saw them collect only one hit that did not go over the outfield fence. MD Johnson was the recipient of the long ball support, as he threw 6.1 innings, scattering 10 hits, and striking out seven. Seth Elledge came out the pen to notch his 13th save of the season, as the Patriots' closer worked the final 2.2 innings to close out the one-run win for DBU.
 
Through the first three innings, the Patriot offense was buoyed by the long ball. After a run for Central Connecticut (36-22) in the first inning, DBU took the lead on home runs by Matt Duce, Camden Duzenack, and Austin Listi. The home run from Duzenack came with Tim Millard aboard after a walk in the second inning while Duce and Listi recorded the solo variety. For Listi, the blast was the 50th of his career as he extended his career-leading total at DBU.
 
Johnson scattered baserunners until the fifth inning when the Blue Devils pulled to within one by scoring two runs on three hits to keep the game close. Listi pushed the lead back to two with his second solo homer of the game and the 22nd of the season, which ties Ryan Goins for the most home runs in a single-season in DBU's Division I era.
 
CCSU answered right back through, as the Blue Devils scratched across a run with one out in the seventh to end the afternoon for Johnson. Ryan Costello singled with one out and TT Bowens followed with a double to bring Seth Elledge out of the bullpen with the tying run at second.
 
Camden Duzenack helped Elledge keep the one-run advantage with a diving play at shortstop to retire the first batter that the DBU closer faced and then Elledge took matters into his own hands.   Facing Buddy Dewaine, Elledge blew away the CCSU slugger with a 95-mph heater to end the inning and keep the score, 5-4.
 
The Patriots went quickly in their half of the seventh inning and CCSU quickly got a runner in scoring position in the eighth inning after a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt. Elledge once again pitched out of danger by inducing a groundball to Listi and then another punchout to close the frame.
 
Devlin Granberg returned the lead to two runs with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth.  That insurance run would prove to loom large, as Elledge surrendered a run in the ninth before striking out Dewaine with the tying run at second base.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The Patriots are 5-2 all-time in the second game of a NCAA Regional Tournament.
- DBU is now 9-3 in one-run games this year.
- The Patriots won for the fifth time in the 21 games this year in which they have been out-hit. 
 
DBU HEAD COACH DAN HEEFNER ON THE TEAM'S EIGHT HOME RUNS IN THE FIRST TWO GAMES
"This park doesn't usually play that way, but it has the first two games this weekend.  Those proved to be big for us today, but looking ahead, we need to start stringing hits together and be able to manufacture some runs."
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
22 – Austin Listi tied Ryan Goins single-season record of 22 home runs in a year with a pair of home runs today.
27 – Seth Elledge ran his career saves record to 27, as he registered his 13th save of the year.
9 – All nine runs for the Patriots in their first two games have come on home runs.
 
UP NEXT
DBU awaits the loser of the TCU and Virginia game.  First pitch is scheduled for Sunday at 8:00 p.m.