Desaulniers Homers Twice In Sunday Softball Split

Ashlyn Desaulniers was 4-4 with two homeruns and three RBI in the opener and finished with five base hits on the day. Skylar Warn was 2-3 at the plate in both games, driving in a pair of runs in the night cap. 

GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE 
Score: CCSU 6, Mercyhurst 4 
Pitching Record: W: Strunk (4-2)| L: DeLuca 1-3 | Save - - 
Records: CCSU (13-9; 8-0 NEC), Mercyhurst (2-18; 1-4 NEC) 
Location: CCSU Softball Field | New Britain, CT 

KEY MOMENTS 

• DeSaulniers wasted no time putting CCSU on top, after Hailey Strunk retired the Lakers in order to start the game, hitting a homerun from the leadoff spot. 

• Braylynn Kelley reached on an error in the top of the second and scored her two batters later on a Mackenzie Gillis single to right field, tying the score 1-1 

• Neither team scored again until Central put together three runs on three hits. Sophia LoPiccolo scored on a passed ball to put the Blue Devils up 2-1, before Desaulniers hit a two-run homerun to make the score 4-1 

• Again, the Lakers answered, this time on a Karlie Kasten RBI single that plated Alex Acosta-Reyes, who had earned a leadoff walk 

• The Blue Devils added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth when Sophia LoPiccolo led off with a double. After pinch runner Drianna Pena stole third, Kristina Bozek homered to left field to make the score 6-4. 

• With two outs in the seventh, Mercyhurst received a pinch-hit single from Neena Pietropaolo who advanced to third when Karlie Kasten followed with a double. Emelie Pascual plated them both with a single, before Strunk induced a popup from Bailey Cannon to close out the game. 

GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE 
Score: Mercyhurst 8, CCSU 6 
Pitching Record: W: North 2-7| L: Hamilton 8-2 Save - - 
Records: CCSU (13-10; 8-1 NEC), Mercyhurst (3-18; 2-4 NEC) 
Location: CCSU Softball Field | New Britain, CT 

KEY MOMENTS 

• Mercyhurst opened with back-to-back singles in the second game, and after a sacrifice bunt, Kelly singled to center field to score Kasten for the 1-0 lead. Liz Hamilton retired the next 11 Lakers and 16 of 17 through the first out of the top of the sixth inning 

• The Blue Devils the first two runners on in each of the first three innings, but went 0-9 in with runners in scoring position, stranding six and still trailed 1-0 entering the bottom of the fifth inning 

• CCSU broke through in the fifth inning as Reagan Vunak singled to lead off and Ava Cino doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Grace Lawton followed with a single through the left side, to put the Blue Devils on top, 2-1. Two batters later Skylar Warn homered to put the Blue Devils in front 4-1. The Lakers answered with a homerun of their own, a pinch-hit to left field from Gabriella DeLuca to cut the deficit to two runs and the Blue Devils took a 4-2 lead to the final frame. 

• Pietropaolo led off with a single and after retiring a batter with a pop fly, Jazlynn Sanders hit a pinch-hit home run to square the game, 4-4. Kasten followed with a single and Emelie Pascual put two runners in scoring position with a double. Bailey Cannon bunted home Kasten, before Kelly homered to left center to make the score 8-4. 

• A Cino walk to leadoff was followed by back-to-back outs before Warn worked a walk. LoPiccolo drove a ball through the legs of the Lakers third baseman that scored Cino and kept the inning alive. Joslyn TEal followed with an RBI single to score Warn and out the tying run at second base. Kristina Bzek looped a ball down the right field line that Natalie Cully made a running catch on to end the game 

NOTES 

• Strunk fanned five in earning the victory in the opener, giving up three earned runs on six hits 

• Both game two pitchers fanned 10 on Saturday, with Hamilton giving up 12 hits with on walks, while Alexa North gave up 11 hits and four walks 

• The Blue Devils knocked out seven extra base hits on Sunday, with Desaulniers homering twice with a double in the opener 

• Desaulniers finished the doubleheader 5-8 at the plate, while Vunak was 3-4 with a run in the second game 

• Warn finished the day 4-6 with two runs and two RBI 

UP NEXT 

• The Blue Devils travel to the University of Albany on Wednesday for a non-conference double header.