Softball Splits at Under Armour Showcase, Earns Walk-Off Win Over Rider
Senior Tori Constantin smacked a walk-off single to guide CCSU past Rider on Friday night.
GAME ONE:
After trailing 4-0 heading into the top of the fourth inning, the Central Connecticut softball team battled back to score three runs, but would ultimately fall 4-3 in the end to Western Michigan (10-10) at the USF Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater, FL.
Senior Lex Debrosse went yard in the top of the seventh with one out, posting her second homerun of the season and CCSU the momentum. Fellow classmate Brittany McNulla then singled up the middle, putting the tying run on base. With two of the Blue Devils top guns on deck, freshman Sydney Bolan and senior Gianna Hathaway, Central looked to be in a great position to send the game to extra innings or take the lead.
However, two straight groundouts to the WMU shortstop brought the seventh inning rally to a halt. Western Michigan's Jordan Kurth received the win and improves to 4-3.
After Western Michigan tallied one run in the second and three runs in the third, sophomore Emily Cronin slapped a two-out single with two runners in scoring position to put CCSU on the board.
Freshman Ashley Antonazzo was credited with the loss and drops to 2-2 on the season. Senior Emily Sargent relieved Antonazzo in the middle of the third inning to go 4.0 innings and strike out four Broncos for the Blue Devils.
GAME TWO:
Senior Tori Constantin smacked a walk-off single in extra innings to lift CCSU past Rider 3-2 on Friday night in Clearwater, FL. The Blue Devils out-hit the Broncs 8-5 and senior Emily Sargent earned her first win of the season (1-3) and pitched all eight innings for Central.
Rider struck first in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.
From there, both teams were scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning. Sophomore Emily Cronin tied the game at 1-1 after capitalizing on an error from the Broncs first baseman.
Rider responded with another run on two hits to regain the lead, 2-1, in the top of the sixth inning. Senior Brittany Camara laid down a clean bunt and then stole second base to put herself in scoring position. Classmate Brittany McNulla then hit a single through the right side of the diamond that scored Camara to knot the score at 2-2 and send the game to extras.
Due to the international tie-breaker rule, both teams were granted a runner at second base to start the inning. CCSU held Rider scoreless in the top of the eighth despite the advantage.
Freshman Sydney Bolan was the runner for Central that was granted second base. Bolan would tag up and advance to third on a sac fly from senior Gianna Hathaway, and then score the winning run off of Constantin's walk-off single.
The Blue Devils will face South Dakota St. on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m.
