Central Connecticut Puts Away FDU 10-0; Splits Saturday Doubleheader
Paterson hit her first career homer and went 3-for-3 in game two.
The Central Connecticut softball team split Saturday's doubleheader on the road at Fairleigh Dickinson. CCSU was edged 2-1 in game one on a walk-off single and then dominated the Knights 10-0 in game two at FDU Softball Field. The Blue Devils advance to 11-18 and 2-2 in the NEC, Fairleigh Dickinson moves to 9-18 and 2-2 in the league.
Central is back in action on Thursday, April 5 with a home contest against Fairfield in New Britain, CT at 3:00 p.m.
GAME ONE
After four scoreless innings of Northeast Conference softball, the Blue Devils and the Knights were both able to find a run in the fifth inning to tie the score at 1-1 until the bottom of the seventh inning.
FDU's Reanna Cervantes led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a double to the right center gap. Central's senior pitcher, Emily Sargent walked the next batter and surrendered a single up the middle of the field that loaded the base path with no outs.
CCSU's shortstop senior Lex Debrosse then scooped up a grounder and fired it home to the catcher senior Brittany McNulla who tagged the Knight out at home.
However, the defensive stand couldn't hold off the Knights to head to extra innings as Fairleigh Dickinson's Summer Mendoza hit a walk-off single to the left side of the diamond to seal the 2-1 victory.
Senior Tori Constantin doubled to left center to lead off the fifth inning, and senior Brittany Camara connected on a sac fly to score CCSU's lone run.
Sargent pitched 6.1 innings for the Blue Devils and gave up five hits has she falls to 7-7 on the season.
GAME TWO
Central wasted no time at all getting on the scoreboard in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. Debrosse crushed a two-run jack to center field that scored senior Brittany Camara after she led off the inning with a single.
In her first start since March 4 at Arkansas, sophomore transfer Peyton Silverman
Sophomore Emily Cronin led off the third inning and then stole second to put herself in scoring position with Camara back at the plate. The senior ripped a triple to right field that sent Cronin home with ease. Debrosse tabbed her third RBI of the game on a single to center field to give CCSU the 4-0 edge.
In the top of the fourth inning, junior Kaitlin Paterson launched her first career homerun over the left-center field fence forcing FDU to make a pitching change facing a 5-0 deficit. FDU would switch pitchers twice more, but was unable to stop the Blue Devil attack.
Paterson recorded a sac fly to score freshman Kristen Ulmer from third base in the top of the fifth inning.
Leading 6-0 in the top of the seventh inning, Central poured on the offense putting together a four-run, five-hit stanza. In the stretch Constantin sent home Debrosse and freshman Sydney Bolan on a double to center field and then scored on a double from Paterson on the next play.
Paterson would find her way home off of a costly Knight fielding error on an infield grounder from sophomore Emily Cronin to take 10-0 lead.
In FDU's final chance, the Knights recorded a single and double but was unable to capitalize on the scoring opportunity as Silverman closed out her sixth complete game of the season.
Silverman advances to 2-4 on the year and surrendered six hits in her third shutout of the season.
Paterson went 3-for-3 and Debrosse was 3-for-4, each posting three RBI to lead an impressive performance from the CCSU offense. The Blue Devils collectively out-hit Fairleigh Dickinson 16-6.
