Softball Swept by LIU Brooklyn on Sunday

The Central Connecticut softball team dropped a pair of games at home to the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds in Northeast Conference action on Sunday in New Britain. The Blackbirds topped the Blue Devils 10-1 in six innings in game one before blanking CCSU 10-0 over five innings in game two.

The losses drop the Blue Devils to 15-21-1 overall on the season and 4-4 in Northeast Conference play. LIU Brooklyn improves to 22-24 overall on the year and 10-2 in league action. Central will be back in action next Saturday as they travel to Bryant for a NEC doubleheader in Smithfield, RI.

Game 1 - CCSU 1, LIU 10

The LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds scored two runs in the second, five in the third and three more in the sixth to claim a 10-1 victory over Central Connecticut in six innings in game one on Sunday.

Kayla Gloady got the visitors on the board first in the top of the second inning with a two-out, two-RBI single into shallow center field.

The Blackbirds would then break the game open with five runs in the third inning to build a 7-0 advantage. Celinna Cosio and Kylie Mulholland each doubled and drove in a pair of RBI to fuel the big inning for LIU.

Central would eventually crack the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the deficit to 7-1. Sophomore Tori Constantin doubled to right-center field to lead off the inning before being pinch-run for by freshman Carli Shaw. Shaw would eventually come around to score on a RBI groundout by freshman Kaitlin Paterson.

LIU answered right back though and posted three runs in the top of the sixth inning to put the game within the eight-run mercy rule. Victoria Zamora drove in the first run with a RBI groundout before Cosio once again came through for the Blackbirds with a two-run home run over the center field fence.

The Blackbirds starting pitcher, Erynn Sobieski, would retire the Blue Devils in order in the bottom of the sixth for the 10-1 victory. Sobieski earned the win in the circle pitching a complete game, while allowing one earned run on four hits and two walks. She struck out four.

Sophomore Emily Sargent was dealt the loss for CCSU and drops her record to 10-9 overall on the year. Senior Evie Rentzel was the lone Blue Devil to log multiple hits in game one and finished 2-for-3 with a pair of singles to lead the way offensively.

Game 2 - CCSU 0, LIU 10

LIU erupted for seven runs in the top of the fifth inning and held the Blue Devils to just two hits to pickup a 10-0 win over five innings in game two and complete the sweep on Sunday.

The Blackbirds picked up right where they left off after game one and pushed across three runs in the top of the first inning to begin game two. Ariana Lopez belted a two-run home run down the right field line and a RBI triple by Mulholland accounted for the scoring in the opening inning of play.

Both teams would trade zeros over the next few innings until LIU Brooklyn erupted for seven runs in the top of the fifth to take a 10-0 lead and put the game within the mercy rule.

Ariana Lopez doomed the Blue Devils once again as she put the exclamation point on the game hitting her second home run of the afternoon, a grand slam, deep over the left field fence to give the visitors the 10-0 advantage.

LIU's Tallie Woodson would work around a two-out single by Constantin in the bottom half of the inning to secure the 10-0 victory. The win improves Woodson's record to 5-7 on the year in the circle as she went the distance twirling a two-hitter.

Freshman Alex Casanas picked up the loss in game two for CCSU and falls to 5-12 overall on the year. Constantin and Purcell were the two Blue Devils to record hits in the game two setback.

The CCSU softball team will return to action next on Saturday, April 30 in Smithfield, RI as they take on the Bryant Bulldogs in a key Northeast Conference doubleheader. First pitch of game one is slated for 1 p.m.