Softball Drops NEC Opener to Robert Morris on Sunday

The Central Connecticut softball team fell short in its Northeast Conference doubleheader opener with Robert Morris on Sunday. RMU took game one 3-1, and game two 5-4. Last week's NEC Co-Player of the Week, junior Alexis Debrosse, led the Blue Devil offense with three hits, two RBI's and scored one run.

CCSU moves to 4-14 on the season while Robert Morris improves to 8-21. The Blue Devils will pick back up Monday, April 3 with another pair of conference games at Wagner at 2:00 p.m and 4:00 p.m. 

GAME ONE

The Colonials rang in two runs in the first inning, including a solo home run to left center. The Blue Devils were quiet until the fourth inning when Brittany McNulla hit a lead off single to right field. Classmate Kerri Dadalski then reached on a walk, putting two on with no outs. Central hit into a double play that snuffed their scoring opportunity. 

In the seventh inning, junior Brittany Camara reached first on an error by Robert Morris'shortstop, followed by a single down the right field line from rookie Alicia Bertolino. The two Blue Devil base runners advanced to third and second on a wild pitch from the Colonials pitcher Kaitlin Ellzy. Debrosse scored Camara on a hard hit grounder to short, tallying the only run for CCSU.

Junior Emily Sargent pitched all seven innings, striking out four and only allowing one walk. Central recorded seven hits during game one, including two from Camara.

GAME TWO

Robert Morris' Olivia Lorusso began the game in similar fashion with a two-run home run, and would homer again in the third inning, putting RMU up 4-0. After leaving two runners on base in the fourth, the Blue Devils scored two runs in the fifth, led by an RBI double from Debrosse, who would then score on Dadalski's sac fly.

Sargent relieved sophomore starting pitcher, Alex Casanas, in the fifth inning while the Blue Devils rallied back from the 4-0 deficit to tie the game up at 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Kaitlin Paterson ignited the comeback with a double to right field, and scored off a single to center field from freshman Kaleigh Edwards.

RMU responded with two hits and a run in the top of the last inning. In the bottom of the seventh, McNulla led off with a single, but would be left stranded after three consecutive fly outs to conclude the contest. 

The Blue Devils are back in action on Monday with an NEC doubleheader on the road at Wagner.