March 5, 2013

Softball Sweeps Yale, 8-1, 3-1

Central wins home opener

The Central Connecticut softball team swept a doubleheader from Yale on Tuesday afternoon at the CCSU Softball Field. The Blue Devils (4-2) won the first game 8-1 and won the second game 3-1 in five innings. The second game was called early because of darkness.

Game One

The Blue Devils won game one 8-1 behind a strong pitching performance from sophomore Laura Messina. Messina pitched a complete game and allowed only four hits and one run while striking out six Yale batters. She retired the final six batters of the game for the Bulldogs. Messina is now 2-2 on the season.

Central got on the board first with single run in the bottom of the third inning. Senior Nicole Springer walked with the bases loaded for an RBI and the game's first run.

Yale tied it in the fourth with an unearned run.

Central opened it up in the fifth inning with five runs to climb ahead 6-1. Springer added her second RBI and freshmen Evie Rentzel (triple) and Katie Schmidt (single) each provided an RBI in the inning.

The Blue Devils plated two more runs in the sixth inning to make it 8-1. Freshman Hannah Cooper's sacrifice fly scored the first, and junior Tessa Brown singled in the eighth and final run of the game for CCSU.

Sophomore Kat Malcolm had a pair of hits and scored twice. Rentzel and sophomore Ashley Black each added two hits. Springer had two RBI.

Game Two

Yale struck first with a single run in the top of the first inning of game two, but the Blue Devils responded with three in the bottom of the inning.

Malcolm hit a solo home run for the first run, and then Rentzel and Kelsey Barlow each singled in a run for the 3-1 lead.

Neither offense was able to plate a run after the first frame despite multiple threats. The Blue Devils left two runners on base in the second inning and Yale wasted lead-off base runners in both the fourth and fifth innings.

Yale also threatened in the top of the fifth, but Springer was able to work out of a first and second, no one out jam with a ground ball and a pair of soft line drives on the infield.

The game was called because of darkness following that half inning of play.

Barlow finished the second game 2-for-2 with a RBI.

The victory is the first of the season for Springer (1-0) who earns the five-inning complete game.

The Blue Devils return to action on Friday, March 8, against Canisius at the Hampton Tournament.