Softball Drops Two on Day One at Delaware State

The Central Connecticut softball team fell twice to Delaware State on Friday afternoon by scores of 2-1 and 4-1 at the Delaware State Tournament in Dover, DE. CCSU falls to 9-8 on the season with the losses and will continue tournament play tomorrow, Saturday, March 22, with a doubleheader against Cornell, set to begin at 10 a.m. 

Game #1

Sophomore Eileen Purcell drove in CCSU's only run in the top of the sixth inning in Friday's first game.

Junior Laura Messina made her 13th appearance in the circle this season, tallying her ninth complete game. Messina struck out five batters, walked two and allowed five hits. With the loss, her record falls to 8-5.

Delaware (12-6) took the lead early in the first, notching their first run on two-out single. The Hornets increased their lead to two in the bottom of the third when Jessica Madrid singled and eventually stole home.

Down by two in the top of the sixth, CCSU narrowed the Hornet lead to one. Sophomore Evie Rentzel reached base on a Delaware error with just one out. She advanced to second on a single from senior Tessa Brown and then to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a ground out by Purcell.

The Blue Devils returned to the plate in the top of the seventh. Sophomore Kenya McVey led off the inning with a single up the middle and eventually advanced to second. With the tying run on and two outs, 2013 All-NEC First Team selection Arielle Bruno popped up to the Hornets' third baseman to end the game.

Central posted seven hits on the day, compared to five for Delaware.

Sophomore Hannah Cooper led CCSU at the plate, posting two singles in two at bats while also laying down a sacrifice bunt.  

Game #2

Senior Julie Marks made her sixth appearance and third start of the season in CCSU's second game of the day against Delaware State. Marks faced 18 batters, allowed three earned runs and walked just one before being relieved by sophomore Sarah Gaalswijk after 2.1 innings.

Gaalswijk pitched the remainder of the game for CCSU, allowing just two hits and striking out one. Marks receives the loss and her record drops to 0-3 on the season.

Delaware kicked off game two by loading the bases in the bottom of the first. A single to left field plated the Hornets' first run, but the Central defense turned a double play on the next batter followed by a ground out to exit the inning.

CCSU went down by two in the bottom of the second. The Hornets put two runners in scoring position and plated one on a single up the middle. They added two more in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-0.

In the top of the sixth, junior Kat Malcolm led off with a triple through the right side, her first of the season. A Tessa Brown fly-out scored Malcolm to cut the deficit to three but CCSU would get no closer throughout the remainder of play.

The Blue Devils tallied six hits and two stolen bases in game two while stranding six runners on base. Delaware State posted 12 hits, just one stolen base and left 10 on base.

Malcolm led CCSU at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run. Purcell also tallied two hits while Cooper and freshman Alexis Debrosse each added one.

Central returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, March 22, for doubleheader against Cornell set to begin at 10 a.m.