Softball Splits Final two Games in USF Showcase Tournament

The Central Connecticut softball team split its final two games closing the USF Showcase Tournament The team outscored Seton Hall 11-9 Saturday night and fell to South Dakota State 5-1 Sunday morning. The Blue Devils finished 2-3 at the tournament and have an overall record of 5-4. The team travels to New York for a doulbe-header against Manhattan College on Wednesday, March 13 at 1 and 3 p.m.

AGAINST SETON HALL

Central got out to an early 5-0 lead scoring three runs in the first and two runs in the second inning. Midway through the third, the Blue Devils led 7-0 and Seton Hall scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to try and cut into the lead. After a scoreless fourth inning, both teams responded with four runs each in the fifth giving Central an 11-6 advantage with two innings to play.

The Pirate kept things interesting holding CCSU scoreless in the top of the six and adding two runs to the board trailing 11-8 going into the final inning. Central held onto the win and allowed just one run by Seton Hall in the final inning to pull out the win 11-9.

In five at bats, freshman Rian Eigenmann totaled two RBIs, three hits, and two runs. Sophomore Sydney Bolan had three RBI and rookie Carley Stoker also had two RBIs. As a team, Central totaled 11 RBIs and 10 hits.

Stoker pitched all seven innings for Central allowing 11 hits and nine runs and throwing five strikeouts. 

AGAINST SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

The Blue Devils scored its first and only run of the game in the first inning taking an early 1-0 lead. At her first at bat, sophomore Sydney Bolan had a RBI-single to right field allowing classmate Kristen Ulmer to score. 

For the next two innings the Central held the 1-0 lead until the top of the fourth when South Dakota State scored three runs. With the bases loaded, Allison Yoder had a sacrificed fly ball to center field allowing the Jackrabbits to tie the game 1-1. On the next at bat, Bailey Janseen had a RBI-single for another South Dakota State run. The team hit another RBI-single to put the Jackrabbits ahead 3-1, and sophomore Ashley Antonazzo struck out a batter to close the top of the inning.

South Dakota State scored another two runs in the final inning and held CCSU to just one run and six hits. Antonazzo allowed three hits and three runs in four innings and had two strikeouts. Rookie Kari Marks pitched two innings giving up just two hits, and classmate Carly Stoker pitched one inning throwing two strikeouts, allowing two runs and two hits. Bolan had the only RBI for the Blue Devils.