Softball Splits With Bryant, Wins Game Two 4-1 on Saturday

The Central Connecticut softball team picked up a 4-1 win in game two of its double header with Bryant on Saturday, April 8th. The Blue Devils out-hit their Smithfield, R.I. opponent 9-to-4, and sophomore pitcher, Alex Casañas earned her first win, as well as completing her first game of the 2017 season. Casañas allowed a mere one run on four hits, and struck out two through all seven innings at the mound.

Central was shorted 3-2 in a close game one to Bryant, who scored the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth inning. CCSU now stands at 6-16 overall and 2-4 in the NEC, while Bryant moves to 6-26 and 1-3 in the league.

GAME ONE

The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead, scoring one run in the top of the second and third innings, including a solo home run from Marianna Politis. Junior Brittany Camara reached first on an error from Bryant's center fielder on a routine fly ball to lead off the bottom of the third. 

CCSU totalled three hits and two runs to tie the score at 2-2, brought on by an RBI double from sophomore Kerri Dadalski and an RBI single past the shortstop from classmate Kaitlin Paterson.
In the top of the sixth inning, Bryant's Rachel Monroe hit a triple and was sent home on a single from the pitcher, Gabrielle Ermish.

Central's defense held strong in the top of the seventh retiring the top of the Bulldog's lineup one-two-three. Sargent was credited for two of the three outs herself with a pair of strikeouts. Despite having the core of the Blue Devil lineup at bat, CCSU couldn't rally back in the bottom of the final inning. 

CCSU's junior starting pitcher, Emily Sargent went all seven innings in her 12th complete game of the year and struck out six Bulldogs for the game. 

GAME TWO

In the second of the two Saturday afternoon games, Bryant took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning after connecting on three singles. Central was quiet until the bottom of the third inning, when the Blue Devils loaded the bases when freshmen Emily Cronin walked and red-shirt junior, Tori Constantin and Debrosse both singled.

Junior Brittany McNulla continued the hot third inning for CCSU with a sac fly to center that easily scored Debrosse from third. Camara, the Blue Devils leader in stolen bases this season, then tallied her eighth steal as she moved into scoring position at second base. Rookie Kaleigh Edwards rocketed a two out RBI single to complete the four-run third inning rally for Central.

Leading 4-1, CCSU held the Bulldogs hitless in the game's final four innings. In the top of the seventh inning, Bryant's lead off batter reached on a walk, but was quickly sent back to the dugout when Monroe hit into a textbook six-four-three doubleplay. Debrosse cleanly field the final out of game two, sealing the victory for the Blue Devils.

Debrosse, Edwards, and Constantin all recorded two hits for CCSU.