Softball Splits Midweek Doubleheader vs. UMass Lowell on Tuesday

The Central Connecticut softball team split a midweek doubleheader with the UMass Lowell River Hawks on Tuesday afternoon at home dropping the first game 3-2 before rebounding with an 8-3 win in game two. With the split, the Blue Devils move to 14-18-1 overall on the season, while the River Hawks go to 8-34.

Senior Evie Rentzel led the way for the Blue Devils on Tuesday finishing a combined 4-for-8 with four RBI and a run scored over the two-game set. She clubbed a pair of doubles, one in each game. CCSU will be back in action next on Thursday with another midweek doubleheader at the University of Rhode Island beginning at 3 p.m.

Game 1 - CCSU 2, UML 3

UMass Lowell scored twice in the top of the seventh inning to break a 1-1 deadlock and held on for a 3-2 win in the first game on Tuesday afternoon in New Britain.

The River Hawks cracked the scoreboard first in the top of the fourth inning to take an early 1-0 edge over CCSU. With the bases loaded and one out, Vanessa Cooper drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to right field.

The Blue Devils would answer though and tied the game with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Rentzel ripped a line drive off the glove of the UMass Lowell pitcher and beat the throw to first as freshman Kaitlin Paterson came home to score and tie the game.

UML broke the 1-1 stalemate in the top of the seventh inning with two runs to take a 3-1 lead. A pair of bases loaded walks forced home the two runs to give the River Hawks the advantage.

Central didn't go down without a fight and made things interesting in the bottom half of the inning. Back-to-back one-out singles by Paterson and sophomore Brittany Camara started the rally for the Blue Devils. Rentzel would follow two batters later with a RBI double to left-center field to cut it to 3-2 and move the tying run 60 feet away, but UML's starting pitcher Kaysee Talcik induced a groundout to end the game and secure the 3-2 victory.

Talcik earned the win in game one for the River Hawks tossing a complete game, while surrendering two runs (one earned) on eight hits and a walk. She struck out a pair of Blue Devils and improved her record to 4-11 on the season with the victory.

Sophomore Emily Sargent was dealt the loss for CCSU as she also fired a complete game. She allowed three earned runs on six hits and eight walks while striking out four.

Camara went 3-for-4 with a run scored in game one while Paterson and Rentzel each also logged multi-hit games. Paterson was 2-for-4 with a run scored and Rentzel went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.

Game 2 - CCSU 8, UML 3

The Blue Devils jumped out early with three runs in the first inning and then secured an 8-3 win in game two with four insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to earn the split on Tuesday afternoon.

Central wasted little time getting things going in the second game and plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman Kerri Dadalski, Rentzel and senior Eileen Purcell ripped three straight doubles in the opening frame to give the Blue Devils the early 3-0 edge.

The River Hawks got one run back in the top of the second inning after Marisa Carrasco walked with the bases loaded to force in a run and made it 3-1 Blue Devils.

CCSU would get that run back in the bottom of the third inning. Dadalski led off the inning with her second double of the game down the left field line and then came around to score on a RBI groundout from sophomore Alexis Debrosse to push the lead back to 4-1.

UMass Lowell responded with a run in the top of the sixth inning to cut its deficit to 4-2. Four consecutive singles by the River Hawks accounted for the run.

The Blue Devils would answer though and in a big way as they pushed across four insurance runs in the bottom half of the inning, all with two outs, to secure the victory. Central strung together five straight hits to score the four runs in the inning. Camara delivered the knockout blow with a two-RBI double to left field to put CCSU up 7-2. Dadalski then capped the inning with her third hit of the game, a RBI single to left field, to give the Blue Devils an 8-2 lead.

UML scratched across a run in the top of the seventh to account for the 8-3 final.

Sargent rebounded for the victory in the circle for the Blue Devils in game two pitching 6.0 innings and allowed two earned runs on seven hits and a walk. She struck out seven UML batters and moves to 9-7 overall on the season. Senior Hannah Cooper made her first career appearance in the circle in relief and worked 1.0 inning giving up a run on two hits.

Dadalski led the way at the plate in game two finishing 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a RBI and two runs scored. Rentzel added another 2-for-4 performance with a double, two RBI and a run scored and Camara went 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in game two.

The CCSU softball team will return to action next with a doubleheader at the University of Rhode Island on Thursday. First pitch of game one is slated for 3 p.m.