Logan Paces Blue Devils in Northeast Conference Doubleheader, CCSU Loses Pair Versus Monmouth

Central Connecticut (7-30, 3-11) lost both ends of a Northeast Conference home doubleheader versus Monmouth (24-15-1, 10-6) at Saint Joseph College. The Hawks won both games 8-5. Junior Jaclyn Logan had a home run and a double to lead CCSU in the opener. She paced four Blue Devils with two-hit efforts. Sophomores Kendal Sours and Katherine Knowles and freshman Samantha Cieri also had two hits. Sours had a double. Logan and Knowles each had two hits in the second contest.

Both teams plated two runs in the first inning. Senior Lee Simonetti and sophomore Emily deLong led off with back-to-back doubles for Monmouth, and junior Alexa Ferrara moved deLong to third with a single. A sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Jessica Nicola made it 2-0 Hawks. Junior Tiffany Erickson got hit by a pitch to lead of CCSU's half of the first. She and sophomore Kendall Sours were both safe on a fielder's choice, and they moved to third on a fly ball to right off the bat of junior Jaclyn Logan. Sophomore Katherine Knowles drove in both with a single to left field.

The Blue Devils threatened in the second. Cieri and senior Jenna Earley had a pair of one-out singles, but they were stranded. Monmouth opened up the game in the top of the fifth, scoring five runs on six hits and an error. Nicola had a two-run single to highlight the inning. CCSU got one run back in the bottom of the fifth. Erickson led off the inning with a single and moved to second on an error. She scored on a double by Sours, who was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Logan added a double in the inning. Monmouth added its final run in the sixth.

Central Connecticut tried to mount a rally in the bottom of the seventh. Sours started the comeback with a two-out single. Logan followed with a HR, and Knowles then singled. She was left on first, though.

Cieri had her second hit in the bottom of the fourth. Senior Rachel Brenneman gave up eight runs, four earned, on 12 hits in the loss. She struck out four. Sophomore Melissa Mehrer earned the win for Monmouth. She gave up five runs on 10 hits in the complete game effort. Ferrara had a three-hit day to lead the Hawk offense.

Monmouth put up two first-inning runs in the second game, too. Nicola had a two-run single after a pair of walks and an error loaded the bases. CCSU put its first two aboard in the bottom of the first, but a double play ended the threat.

Central Connecticut tied the game in the second. Sophomore Erica Koehler got hit by a pitch to start the inning. She was forced out on a fielder's choice by freshman Kelli Griffiths. Freshman Joanna Barry walked, and a Cieri single loaded the bases. Earley had an RBI single to cut the margin in half, and Erickson drew a walk to tie the game. Sophomore Dara Palms relieved Mehrer, who had started the second game, and induced a line out double play to end the inning.

Monmouth regained the lead in the third. After back-to-back two-out singles, Nicola drove in a pair with a double to left field. The Blue Devils answered with two runs in the bottom half of the third. Logan and Knowles led off with singles, and Koehler was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Griffiths drew a walk to bring in the first run, and Knowles scored on an errant pick-off attempt by Nicola. Palms walked Barry to load the bases again, but she retired the next three CCSU hitters to keep the score tied at 4-4.

The Blue Devils took the lead in the fourth inning. Logan and Knowles had one-out singles, and Koehler walked to load the bases. After a fielder's choice retired Logan at home, Barry drew her third walk of the game to make it 5-4. Freshman Abby Martin, who came in for Palms after Logan's single, struck out Cieri to end the inning. Monmouth went ahead with four runs on four hits in the sixth. Senior Nicole Alvarez started the rally with a single. Nicola drew a walk, and after a sacrifice bunt Martin tied the game with an RBI single. Senior Camdice Palumbo stretched the lead to 7-5 with a two-run double, and Simonetti drove Palumbo in with a single.

Martin collected the win for Monmouth. She allowed one hit, walked five and struck out four in 3.2 innings of work. Three players had two-hit efforts for the Hawks. Nicola led the way with four RBI. Sophomore Elizabeth Montemurro took the loss for Central Connecticut. She gave up eight runs, seven earned, while striking out three in 5.2 innings. Brenneman pitched the final 1.1 innings. Logan and Knowles each had two hits to lead the Blue Devil offense.

Central Connecticut will be back in action at Saint Joseph College tomorrow. The Blue Devils will host Mount St. Mary's in doubleheader play beginning at noon. Brenneman, Earley and fellow senior Brittany Salvatore will be honored prior to the start of game one.