Softball Wins Two on Opening Day

The Central Connecticut softball team picked up a pair of victories in its first two games of the season on Saturday with wins over Hampton and Elon. The Blue Devils (2-0) topped Hampton 3-1 in their season opener, followed by a 1-0 extra-inning shutout victory over Elon at the Elon Tournament in Elon, N.C.

Freshman Tori Constantin wasted little time making an impact in a Blue Devil uniform, pacing the CCSU offense with all four RBI's on the day. The 5-foot-7 rookie from Norfolk, MA, combined to finish both games 3-for-7 at the plate and connected for a three-run home run for her first collegiate hit.

Senior standout pitcher Laura Messina picked up both wins in the circle for Central. Messina didn't allow an earned run in 13 innings pitched and tallied 14 strikeouts on the day.

Game #1 vs. Hampton

Hampton (0-7) was the first team to get on the scoreboard with a single run in the bottom of the third. Junior Diamond Ponds singled through the left side and then stole second. Classmate Taylor McCoy followed with a single to right center to advance Ponds to third, but the throw-in was miss-played by CCSU to allow Ponds to score and give Hampton the 1-0 advantage.

The Blue Devils would respond however, and in a big way in the top of the sixth inning. Junior Mackenzie Keyes led off the inning with a single to left and senior Ashley Black was hit by a pitch following a ground out by junior Evie Rentzel. With one out, Keyes and Black were then both moved up a base from a sacrifice bunt from freshman Brittany Camara, bringing up Constantin. The right-handed first baseman blasted a three-run home run over the left field wall to plate three runs and give CCSU a 3-1 lead.

The lead was all the Blue Devils would need as they turned the game over to their bullpen in freshman Emily Sargent. Sargent pitched the final two innings, allowing three hits and recording two strikeouts, to earn her first save of the season in her first collegiate appearance.

Messina picked up the victory, allowing only four hits over the first five frames. She struck out seven, walked one and allowed the lone unearned run.

Central could only muster four hits in the game, but the three-run blast by Constantin was more than enough to secure the 3-1 victory. Keyes was the only Blue Devil to record multiple hits in the game, finishing 2-for-3 with a pair of singles. Junior Eileen Purcell picked up the other hit, finishing 1-for-4 with a double.

Game #2 vs. Elon

Senior Laura Messina worked an eight inning, two-hit shutout to lift the Blue Devils to an extra-inning 1-0 victory over Elon (10-5) in the second game on Saturday. Messina twirled eight scoreless frames without allowing a single runner to reach third base in the game. She struck out seven Phoenix batters and walked one to improve her record to 2-0 on the young season.

The Blue Devils threatened multiple times, leaving eight runners on base, but would finally plate the lone run of the game on a RBI single from Constantin in the top of the eighth inning.

Senior Ashley Black was placed on second base to begin the top of the eighth and was moved over to third following a sacrifice bunt from freshman Brittany Camara. Constantin once again played hero for the Blue Devils and drove in Black with a single to center field to give the Blue Devils the 1-0 lead.

Messina handled the Phoenix in the bottom of the eighth unscathed and didn't allow the runner placed on second in the beginning of the inning to advance any farther to secure the 1-0 victory for Central.

The Blue Devils totaled 6 hits, led by a pair from Constantin. Junior Evie Rentzel finished the game 1-for-3 with a double to record her first extra-base hit of the season. Camara, Purcell and sophomore Sarah Drazin logged the other three hits for CCSU, all singles.

Central will return to action tomorrow with two more games at the Elon Tournament. The Blue Devils will square-off in a rematch with Hampton at 9:30 a.m. followed by a 11:45 a.m. bout with Lafayette.