Softball Drops Home Opener to UMass Lowell

Central Connecticut State University softball lost its home opener double header to UMass Lowell on Friday, falling 5-3 and 7-6, respectively. The Blue Devils had an exciting start to game two Friday that put them ahead 5-1, but the River Hawks pulled through with an eighth inning comeback.

GAME 1 INFORMATION
FINAL SCORE CCSU 3 UMass Lowell 5
RECORDS CCSU (0-15, 0-0 NEC) UMass Lowell (10-5, 0-0 AE)
LOCATION CCSU Softball Field | New Britain, CT

KEY MOMENTS

• The Blue Devils fell behind early in game one after UMass Lowell put the first run of the day on the board with a double to rightfield.
• CCSU was well within striking distance of taking a lead of their own in the bottom of the first, however. Meg Gorman got things started off with a leadoff double, Paige Stringer kept things going by drawing a walk and Kim Howard loaded up the bases with a single to left field, but the River Hawks got out of the jam with a strikeout.
• It was a pitcher's duel for the next few innings as neither team could get more than a hit an inning. That was, until freshman Matison Piripavel stepped up to the plate to leadoff the bottom of the fifth inning for CCSU. The rookie catcher sent a deep shot down the left field line that nearly gleamed off the pole marking foul territory, but steered fair for a home run. The solo shot was Piripavel's first collegiate home run and tied this thing up at one.
• UMass Lowell hit a deflating two-run home run the next inning that put them back in the lead. They followed it up with a similar two-run homer in the top of the seventh.
• After a leadoff single from Molly Bruyns, Meg Dugas cut into the River Hawk lead with her first home run of the season. CCSU was unable to tie it after this, however, and fell 5-3.

NOTES

• This was CCSU's first multi-home run game of the season.

GAME 2 INFORMATION
FINAL SCORE CCSU 6 UMass Lowell 7
RECORDS CCSU (0-16, 0-0 NEC) UMass Lowell (11-5, 0-0 AE)
LOCATION CCSU Softball Field | New Britain, CT

KEY MOMENTS

• CCSU had an even better start to Friday's second game. After two strikeouts from Kate Houghton helped get them out of the first with ease, Meg Gorman led the game off with a single for CCSU. Stringer sent a hard-hit double out to right field that put the both of them in scoring position early. Howard hit a foul ball on the following at bat that the River Hawks got the out on, but made an error in the field that helped CCSU get on the board and got Stringer over to third.
• With runners on the corner after Bri Walker drew her namesake, Bruyns slapped an RBI-double that scored Stringer.
• The River Hawks were able to get one run back in the top of the second, but CCSU was not done scoring there. The Blue Devils were oppurtunistic on the base paths, taking advantage of some errors from the defense and logging two more runs from Gorman and Alex Rodgers.
• Walker sent a solo shot out to right field in the bottom of the third inning that put CCSU up 5-1.
• Disaster struck for CCSU in the top of the fifth inning. After loading up the bases, the River Hawks proceeded to unload them with a grand slam that tied the game back up at five. The Blue Devils switched pitching, but UMass Lowell struck again with a solo shot that gave them the lead for the first time since the top of the first inning.
• Piripavel doubled to send Bruyns home, evening things up once more.
• Finally, the River Hawks singled to send in the winning run home. They struck out the final two batters to take the game.

NOTES

• Walker led CCSU with two knocks on the day.

UP NEXT...

The Blue Devils travel to UAlbany on Wednesday to face the Great Danes in a doubleheader.