Sixth Inning Rally Propels Softball Past Penn, 6-3, Thursday in Florida

The Central Connecticut softball team earned its first victory of the 2017 season, after a huge six run rally across the final two innings against Ivy League member, University of Pennsylvania on Thursday, March 9. Starting right fielder, sophomore Kerri Dadalski led the Blue Devils with a key double and three RBI's. Fellow junior, Emily Sargent pitched a complete game, striking out three Quakers, and allowing just three runs at Eddie Moore Softball Complex in Clearwater, FL.

CCSU improves to 1-5 and Penn falls to 4-6 on the year.

Sargent single-handedly stopped an early bases loaded opportunity for the Quakers in the bottom of the first inning, when the junior caught Jurie Joyner on a third strike-looking. After getting its lead-off runner on base, Penn scored the game's first run following a pair of sacrifice bunts, and an RBI single up the center of the diamond. 

Junior Brittany McNulla recorded CCSU's first hit in the top of fourth, with a shot to center field with one out. However, two fly outs left McNulla stranded heading into the second half of the inning. Sargent forced Penn's eighth, ninth, and lead-off batters to fly out to center, and pop two up second base, respectively, for a one, two, three showing.

The Quakers hit into a third-to-second-first base double play, and Sargent recorded another strikeout looking to give Central the momentum. Fueled, CCSU ignited for five hits and four runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 4-1 lead over its Ivy League opponent.

Junior Brittany Camara began the rally with a single to center, and then stole second to move into scoring position, classmate Alexis Debrosse, reached on a walk. McNulla and Dadalski smacked back-to-back doubles to center, and right-center, respectively, tallying two RBI's each. 

Despite two pitching changes for Penn, the Blue Devils poured in two more runs in their final appearance at the plate, starting with three singles to fill the base path. Sophomore Maddie Landry scored on a hit by pitch, and freshman Sarah Ogilvie knocked in Camara with a single to right field.

Sargent received the win advancing her record to 1-3. Camara crossed homeplate twice and ended with a pair of hits for CCSU. 

The CCSU softball squad will next compete against six different opponents in three days at the USF Under Armour Showcase inside the USF Softball Stadium in Clearwater, FL on Friday and Sunday, and back at the Eddie Moore Softball Complex in Tampa, FL on Saturday. The Blue Devil retake the field tomorrow morning for a 9:15 a.m. game with the Canisius Golden Griffins who are 6-7 so far this season.