Softball Splits Doubleheader in Season Finale at SFU Thursday

The Central Connecticut softball team split a doubleheader at Saint Francis U on Thursday afternoon winning 5-4 in game one before dropping game two 8-0 in five innings. The split officially eliminated the Blue Devils from postseason contention as they finish the season 18-26-1 overall and 7-9 in Northeast Conference play.

Sophomore Brittany Camara belted a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning to lift the Blue Devils to a 5-4 victory over Saint Francis in game one, but then the Red Flash used five home runs of their own to take game two by a score of 8-0 in five innings. SFU is now 31-22 overall and 11-3 in the league.

Game 1 - CCSU 5, SFU 4

The Blue Devils cracked the scoreboard first with three runs in the top of the third inning off the bat of senior Evie Rentzel. After back-to-back one-out singles by freshman Kaitlin Paterson and senior Eileen Purcell, Rentzel stepped up and blasted a three-run home run over the center field wall to give Central the early advantage. The home run was the fourth of the season for Rentzel and was her third in her last six games.

Saint Francis U answered right back though with a four-run inning of its own in the bottom half of the third to take a 4-3 lead. Three straight doubles to start the frame plated the first two runs for the Red Flash and then Alexis Bower tied the game, 3-3, with a RBI single to center field two batters later. A bases loaded walk later in the inning forced home the go-ahead run to make it 4-3.

Senior Katie Schmidt would tie the game back up, however, as she sent a solo shot over the left field fence in the the top of the fourth inning to make it 4-4. The home run marks the second round-tripper of the season for Schmidt.

That setup the game-winning home run by Camara in the top of the seventh inning. Camara sent a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall for her third home run of the season to power the Blue Devils to victory.

Sophomore Emily Sargent earned the win inside the circle as she was terrific coming on in relief for the Blue Devils. She twirled the final 4.0 innings without allowing a hit and walked just one while striking out four. She improves her record to 12-11 on the year with the victory.

Central out-hit Saint Francis U 9-6 in game one led by Rentzel who finished 2-for-3 with the home run, three RBI and a run scored.

Game 2 - CCSU 0, SFU 8

The Red Flash used five home runs to drop the Blue Devils 8-0 in five innings in game two on Thursday in Loretto, PA.

Sierra McKee set the tone right from the beginning as she led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo shot over the right field fence to put the Red Flash out front 1-0.

Madison Cabell built the Red Flash lead to 2-0 with a solo home run of her own to lead off the bottom of the second inning. She sent the first pitch she saw over the right field wall for her 11th home run of the season.

Saint Francis then extended its lead to 4-0 after a two-run round-tripper from Jordan Seneca in the bottom of the third inning. It marked her team-leading 18th dinger of the year.

The Red Flash would then put the game out of reach with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on a two-RBI single to right field by Cheyenne McKee to make it 6-0 before they belted home runs four and five of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning to go up 8-0 and shorten the game to five innings via the run rule.

Alexis Bower slugged the first solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to left field and then Kassidy Troxell ended the game with a solo shot of her own to right field.

The Blue Devils best chance to score came in the top of the first inning when they recorded two of their three hits in the game. Paterson singled and then two batters later Rentzel doubled to right field, but they were left stranded on second and third as SFU's starting pitcher, Ethel Santai, got a strikeout to end the inning.

Santai recorded the win in game two for the Red Flash pitching 5.0 innings, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out four.

Freshman Alex Casanas was dealt the loss for the Blue Devils. She pitched 2.0 innings and surrendered two earned runs on three hits to fall to 6-15 inside the circle on the season.

Paterson, Purcell and Rentzel collected the three hits in the game two setback. Rentzel had a double.