Softball Edged by USF on Monday Night

The Central Connecticut softball team dropped a tough back-and-forth 3-2 decision to the University of South Florida on Monday night at the USF Softball Field in Tampa, FL. With the loss the Blue Devils fall to 9-3 over all on the season. The Bulls improve to 26-8 with the win.

The Blue Devils took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the second inning. Junior Eileen Purcell doubled to left field to lead off the inning and was pinch ran for by classmate Brittany Ernst. Ernst was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from freshman Tori Constantin and came around to score on a passed ball.

The Bulls answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning on a leadoff home run off senior starter Laura Messina by Lee Ann Spivey to tie the game 1-1.

USF added a run in the following inning to take the lead 2-1. Messina hit the first batter, Cassidy Boyle, who then was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. She came around to score on an RBI single to left field from D'Anna Devine.

The Blue Devils responded to the threat and re-tied the game in the top of the fourth on a RBI single from Constantin. Senior Ashley Black led off the inning with a walk followed by a bunt single from classmate Kat Malcolm to put runners on first and second with no outs. Purcell then single to left center, but Black was gunned down at the plate on the relay throw home. However, Constantin batted next and answered with a clutch hit through the right side to score Malcolm and knot the score at 2-2.

It was the Bulls turn to answer and they did so with a run in the bottom of the fifth. They led off the inning with a pair of hits to left field to put runners on first and second with no outs. Messina then induced a huge double play to get two outs, but Devine came up next with a clutch RBI hit once again for USF with a single to left field to give the Bulls a 3-2 lead.

The Blue Devils threatened in the top half of the seventh leading off the inning with a walk from Constantin. Freshman Katelyn Johnson ran for Constantin and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from junior Evie Rentzel, but CCSU was unable to plate the tying run and force extra innings as the Bulls walked away with the 3-2 victory.

Messina was dealt her second loss of the season and now moves to 6-2 on the season in the circle. She pitched a complete game, allowing three runs on six hits and struck out five.

Malcolm and Purcell stayed hot as they combined for four of the five CCSU hits. Purcell finished 2-for-3 with a double and Malcolm went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a run scored. Constantin drove in the only run for Central, finishing 1-for-1 with a RBI single.

The Blue Devils will play their final two games in Florida tomorrow with a doubleheader against Big-10 opponent Purdue. The games are schedule to being at 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. and can be followed via live stats.