Blue Devils Earn Northeast Conference Doubleheader Split at Wagner, Pick Up 7-5 Win in Game Two

Central Connecticut (7-28, 3-9) split a Northeast Conference road doubleheader versus Wagner (16-26, 4-10) on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Devils bounced back for a 7-5 win in the second game after losing the opener 11-3 in six innings. Junior Jaclyn Logan and sophomores Kendall Sours and Erica Koehler each had two hits in game two. Senior Rachel Brenneman collected the win on the mound. Junior Tiffany Erickson and freshman Kelli Griffiths had two hits apiece in the first contest.

A pair of Wagner second inning errors led to CCSU's first run in the second game. The Blue Devils extended the lead to 3-0 in the third inning. Sours and Logan had back-to-back singles to open the innings. They advanced a base on a passed ball and came in on singles by Koehler and Griffiths.

Wagner tied the game in its half of the third inning, but Central Connecticut responded with two more runs to regain the lead in the fourth. A two-run double by Logan put CCSU ahead 5-3. The Seahawks again tied the game in their half.

The Blue Devils took the lead for good in the sixth inning. Senior Jenna Earley and Erickson had consecutive singles that ultimately led two a two-run single by Koehler. Brenneman finished off the win, working around a base runner in both the sixth and seventh innings.

Sours finished the game with three runs in addition to the two hits. Koehler drove in three, and Logan had the two RBI. Brenneman scattered 11 hits while striking out six. Sophomore Amanda Garcia went 2.1 innings on the mound for Wagner. She gave up three runs, two earned, on three hits. Junior Kate Eshelman picked up the loss in 4.2 innings of relief. She gave up four runs, three earned, on six hits. Eshelman was also one of three Seahawks to have two hits.

Wagner scored in every inning of the opener. The Seahawks took a 4-0 lead through two innings before Central Connecticut trimmed the deficit in half in the third. Freshman Samantha Cieri had her first career home run to lead off the third. Logan added an RBI ground out to make it 4-2. Wagner countered with three runs in the bottom of the third and added one apiece in the fourth and fifth.

Knowles tripled in the sixth for CCSU. She came in on an RBI ground out by Koehler. Wagner ended the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Erickson and Griffiths both went 2-for-3 in the defeat. Sophomore Elizabeth Montemurro pitched four innings in the loss. Freshman Abby Harpp threw 1.1 innings of relief. Senior Andrea Lazzari went 4-for-4 with four RBI and three runs to lead Wagner. She had two of four Seahawk home runs. Freshman Kaelynn Armenta earned the win with six innings of eight-hit work on the mound. She struck out three.

Central Connecticut will take a break from NEC play on Tuesday, Apr. 21. The Blue Devils will travel to Holy Cross for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.