Softball Takes One Game Against Quinnipiac Wednesday Afternoon

The Central Connecticut softball team (7-10) split a pair of games Wednesday afternoon with Quinnipiac (5-16) in New Britain, CT. The Blue Devils won the first game 3-0, but fell to the Bobcats 5-4 in game two. Central is back at home this weekend when it co-hosts the Nor'Eastern Classic Tournament with Hartford on Saturday and Sunday.

CCSU plays a pair of games at 9 and 11 a.m. on Saturday at the CCSU Softball Field, then plays against Rider at the University of Hartford at 9 a.m. and a game against Manhattan in New Britain and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

GAME ONE

The first two innings were scoreless and freshman Kari Marks threw two of her four strikeouts in the opening innings before Central got on the board in the bottom of the third. Junior Emily Cronin got on first with a base hit then stole second. She advanced to third on a hit by freshman Carli Backlund who also stole second. With a runner on second and third, sophomore Sydney Bolan stepped up to the plate and had a single-RBI allowing Cronin to score and advancing Backlund to third.

Following Bolan, junior Giuliana Hathaway recorded a single-RBI to increase Central's lead 2-0. The Blue Devils allowed just one hit in the top of the fourth before scoring its final run of the game in the bottom of the inning. With Cronin on second base, freshman Rian Eigenmann hit one deep into center field sending Cronin across home plate.

Marks pitched all seven innings for the Blue Devils throwing four strikeouts, walking just one batter, and giving up seven hits and no runs. She is now 1-3 on the mound this season.

GAME TWO

The Bobcats got on the board early in game two when a batter walked with the bases loaded. Central responded in the bottom of the inning with a single-RBI by freshman Alexa Milius sending Bolan home.

The second inning was scoreless, but Quinnipiac hit a double with a runner on second base followed by another RBI to take a slight 3-1 lead. Eigenmann hit one out of the park in the bottom of the inning and with the bases loaded sophomore Meg Dugas had a single-RBI to tie the game 3-3.

The Bobcats scored two runs in the top of the fifth, one by an error from the Blue Devils taking the lead again 5-3. In the bottom of the inning with a runner on second, junior Sarah Ogilvie doubled allowing Milius to score Central's fourth run of the game.

Freshman Carley Stoker threw three straight strike outs in the sixth inning, but the Blue Devils failed to get on base before getting its third out. Central allowed just one hit in the top of the seventh, but couldn't capitalize in the bottom of the inning getting its second and third out with a runner on third base.

Sophomore Ashley Antonazzo pitched the opening three innings allowing four hits and three runs. She had two errors, walked three batters, and threw two strikeouts. Stoker finished the game allowing three hits and two runs, while recording two errors, two walks, and five strikeouts.