Softball Splits a Pair of Games on Day One of the USF Tournament

The Central Connecticut (4-2) softball team split a pair of games today in Clearwater, Florida at the first day of the University of South Florida Showcase Tournament. The Blue Devils defeated Furman 3-1 and fell to Chattnooga in extra innings on a walk off hit 5-4. Central plays tomorrow at noon and 6 p.m. against Seton Hall and Eastern Illinois. 

GAME ONE

Senior Kaitlin Paterson put Central on the board in the bottom on the first with a single to left field allowing freshman Rian Eigenmann to cross home plate.

Both teams were scorelss in the second inning and the Blue Devils only allowed one hit and had one error. 

Central scored its final two runs in the third inning. Her first time at bat, rookie Carli Backlund walked and Paterson hit a single advancing her second base. After an error committed by Furman, Backlund reached third. With sophomore Sydney Bolan at bat, Paterson stole second as Backlund stole home making the score 2-0. 

Bolan had a nice hit into the outfield allowing Paterson to hit home plate pushing the lead 3-0.

In the next three innings, the Blue Devils allowed just three hits from Paladins. In the top of the seventh, with one out and a runner on second, Furman connected on a ball allowing the runner on base to score off a fielding error by Central, making the score 3-1. The next batter got out on a line drive to center field, and freshman Carly Stoker struck out the next patter to solidify the win.

Storker pitched all seven innings allowing just one run and five hits. She struck out four batters and had just one error on the game. Paterson and Bolan each had one RBI for the Blue Devils.

GAME TWO

Chattanooga scored off its one hit with a fly ball to right field for an RBI in the first inning. The teams went quite for the next two innings and sophomore Ashley Antonazzo struck out two batters, on in the second and one in the third.

Freshman Alyssa Contreras scored the first run for the Blue Devils in the fourth inning to tie the game 1-1. In the bottom of the fourth, with a runner on third, a hitter for Chattanooga singled up the right side line recording an RBI to regain the lead 2-1.

Hathaway recorded two RBIs in the fifth inning with a hit up the middle sending rookie Carli Backlund and senior Kaitlin Paterson across home plate. The team had two runs and three hits in the inning to take a 3-2 advantage. 

With two outs, Chattanooga tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI by Devan Brown off a single down the left field line.

After seven innings the score was tied 3-3 and the tournament played with an internationl tie breaker rule allowing each team to start with a runner on second base. Sophomore Kristen Ulmer started on base for the Blue Devils and advanced to third off a bunt. Ulmer capitalized off a field error by the short stop and scored putting Central ahead 4-3.

Chattanooga had a similar score advance its runner to third base with a bunt followed by a single to left field sending the runner home and putting the game back to a 4-4 tie. The Blue Devils had three quick outs in the top of the ninth and with two outs and a runner on third, Hayleigh Weissenbach singled to right center field for the walk off hit.

Antonazzo pitched all nine innings allowing eight hits and five runs throwing five strikeouts. She now has a 2-2 record pitching for the Blue Devils.