Softball Sweeps NEC Weekly Awards
A trio of Blue Devils earned NEC weekly honors by the league on Monday afternoon.
Three members of the Central Connecticut softball team picked up Northeast Conference weekly honors, the league office announced on Monday afternoon. Junior Eileen Purcell, senior Laura Messina and freshman Tori Constantin swept this week's NEC weekly awards after the Blue Devils finished a perfect 4-0 at the Elon Softball Tournament in their season opening weekend. Purcell was named the NEC Player of the Week, Messina was tabbed the NEC Pitcher of the Week and Constantin earned NEC Rookie of the Week honors.
Purcell paced the offense for the Blue Devils, hitting .500 in four games to lead the Blue Devils to an undefeated opening weekend. The junior collected six hits in 12 at-bats, smashing a pair of doubles and delivering a RBI. Purcell slugged a team-best .667%, recorded a hit in all four games and played errorless defense at shortstop on the weekend en route to earning the NEC Player of the Week award. The honor is the first in Purcell's career.
Dominant is an understatement to describe Messina's performance in the circle on opening weekend for the Blue Devils. Messina immediately displayed why she's on the USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List, leading Central Connecticut to a perfect 4-0 record at the Elon Softball Tournament. In three starts, Messina went 3-0 with a pair of two-hit, shutout performances. The senior standout tossed 20.0 innings and didn't allow a single earned run (1 unearned) at the tournament. Over three starts, Messina struck out 22 batters and only walked two. The Marlton, NJ product surrendered eight total hits and baffled opponents hitters in the box, holding them to a miniscule .119 batting average against on the weekend. However, what might be most impressive was over the course of the three games Messina pitched, she faced 72 total batters and only 2 were able to reach passed second base.
The honor marks the 13th time the 2014 NEC Pitcher of the Year has been named NEC Pitcher of the Week by the league in her career.
Constantin was clutch during the opening weekend of her collegiate career, connecting on what would be two game-winning hits for CCSU to pick up the NEC Rookie of the Week award. The freshman's first collegiate hit was a three-run home run that accounted for the Blue Devils' scoring in the season-opening 3-1 win over Hampton on Saturday. Hours later, Constantin delivered another game-winning hit in CCSU's 1-0 victory over Elon. Her eighth-inning single broke a scoreless tie and sent the Blue Devils to their second win of the day. The rookie started all four games at first base on the weekend, finishing 4-for-13 at the plate with four RBI and three runs scored.
The Blue Devils will return to action with their home opener tomorrow, Tuesday, March 10 against Hartford. The Blue Devils and Hawks will play a doubleheader on the CCSU Softball Field beginning at 2 p.m.