Softball Shorted At FIU, 2-0, Friday Night
CCSU will next play Siena at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.
The Central Connecticut softball team moved its record to 1-1 after falling to the Felsberg Invitational host, Florida International, 2-0 on Friday night. FIU advanced to 6-6 on the season with the low scoring win. Freshman Sydney Bolan led the CCSU offense, going 2-3 at the plate.
The Blue Devils first two batters, seniors Brittany Camara and Lex Debrosse reached on a pair of walks in the top first inning, but were left stranded in scoring position. The Panthers lead-off hitter, Jackie Schoff smacked a double that was followed by a single through the left side of the diamond off the hand of Central Connecticut sophomore transfer Peyton Silverman.
FIU would strike first in the bottom of the second on a groundout from Julia Gilbert that scored Schoff from third. Schoff would cross home plate once again to put the Panthers up 2-0 in the bottom of the third inning after stealing third and scoring on an errant throw.
The Blue Devils were held hitless until the top of the fourth inning when Bolan singled to short stop. Neither team found much offense in the fifth and sixth innings in a pitching duel between Silverman and FIU's Megan Kugelmann.
Down by two runs in a must-score situation Bolan led off the inning with a single down the left field line. Freshman Kristen Ulmer then came into the game as a pinch runner for Bolan. Following an easy pop-up fly to second base, senior Kerri Dadalski put the pressure on Kugelmann with a hard-driven single to right field, putting runners at first and second.
Junior Kaitlin Paterson came to plate as the potential winning run for Central. The junior ripped a liner that was picked off from Florida Int. first baseman Kasandra Castle. Castle threw to second where there was a questionable call on a diving Ulmer back to the bag.
After some discussion, the umpires made official call that the CCSU runner was out, overthrowing the Blue Devils seventh inning rally.
Silverman went six innings, struck out three Panthers and surrendered just one walk in her first innings in the circle as a Blue Devil.
The Central Connecticut softball team will play Siena tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. who they topped earlier today 8-5.
