Softball Sweeps Doubleheader Against Yale on Thursday

The Central Connecticut softball team snapped an eight game winless streak by sweeping the Yale Bulldogs on Thursday afternoon at home on the CCSU Softball Field in New Britain, CT. The Blue Devils took game one 7-4 before topping the Bulldogs 6-4 in the night cap of the twin bill. Senior Hannah Cooper and sophomore Alexis Debrosse powered the Blue Devils at the plate in the wins as they each had a home run and four RBI on the day.

With the pair of victories the Blue Devils improve to 8-13-1 overall on the season. Yale slips to 4-14 on the year with the losses. Central will return to action next with its third straight home doubleheader on Monday, March 28 against Binghamton beginning at 2 p.m.

Game 1 - CCSU 7, Yale 4

In game one the Bulldogs jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning after Allison Skinner drove in Shelby Kennedy with a RBI single. However, the Blue Devils would answer with a pair of runs in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth and two more in the sixth to build a 7-1 lead.

Sophomore Brittany Camara drove in the Blue Devils first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. With runners on the corners, she slapped a single back up the middle to tie the game and bring home Debrosse who had singled to lead off the inning. Senior Katie Schmidt followed with a single to load the bases and then two batters later freshman Kaitlin Paterson would give the Blue Devils the lead for good with a RBI groundout to make it 2-1 CCSU.

In the third inning, Central plated a run to make it 3-1 after senior Evie Rentzel ripped a one-out triple off the center field wall and then came in to score on a wild pitch.

Cooper would deliver the knockout blow to the Bulldogs in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one on and one out the senior launched an 0-1 pitch deep over the left-center field wall for a two-run home run to give the Blue Devils a 5-1 lead. The home run was the first of the season for Cooper and the fourth of her career.

Cooper wasn't finished though and drove in her third RBI of the game in a two-run sixth inning for the Blue Devils as they tacked on a pair of insurance runs. Cooper ripped a double to right-center field to plate Schmidt who walked to lead off the inning. Sophomore Brittany McNulla would then drive in the second run of the inning with a single up the middle to plate freshman Carli Shaw who pinch ran for Cooper after the double to make it 7-1.

The Bulldogs rallied and scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to make it 7-4 and eventually brought the tying run to the plate in the inning, but CCSU sophomore pitcher Emily Sargent worked out of the jam and got a pop up to first base to secure the 7-4 victory.

Sargent went the distance in the circle for the Blue Devils in the win. She allowed four earned runs on eight hits and three walks and struck out three and evens her record at 5-5 with the victory.

Four Blue Devils logged multi-hit games in game one led by Cooper who finished 2-for-3 with a home run, double, three RBI and a run scored. McNulla and Camara each also went 2-for-3 in game one with a RBI.

Game 2 - CCSU 6, Yale 4

The Blue Devils jumped out early in game two and never looked back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Rentzel drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to bring home Paterson who was hit-by-pitch to lead off the game for CCSU. Debrosse followed with a two-out RBI double down the left field line to score the second run.

Central would add to its lead with a run in the fourth inning to make it 3-0 Blue Devils. Camara slapped a two-out single to short and then stole second before coming around to score on a RBI single to right field by Cooper. The hit was her third of the day and it also marked her fourth RBI.

Yale scratched across a run in the top of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly from Madison Sak to cut their deficit to 3-1, but Debrosse and the Blue Devils would answer in the bottom half of the frame and in a big way. With Blue Devils on second and third with one out, Debrosse lined a 2-0 pitch over the left-center field fence for a three-run home run and pushed the Central lead to 6-1. It marked the second home run of the season for Debrosse and seventh of her career.

The Bulldogs would not go down quietly though and responded with a three-run inning of their own in the top of the sixth to make it 6-4, but it was once again too little too late for Yale as freshman pitcher Alex Casanas would retire the Bulldogs in order in the seventh to escape with the victory.

Casanas pitched a complete game working all seven innings, while allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks and struck out one. She improves to 3-8 on the season in the circle with the win.

Debrosse led the way offensively in game two as the only Blue Devil with a pair of hits. She finished 2-for-3 with a home run, double, four RBI and a run scored. Cooper went 1-for-3 with a RBI and Rentzel finished 1-for-2 with a RBI in game two.

The CCSU softball team will return to action next with a doubleheader at home on Monday, March 28 against Binghamton. First pitch of game one is slated for 2 p.m.