Softball Wins Season Opener 7-3 Over Norfolk State Sunday Night
The Blue Devils play St. Bonaventure tonight at 8 p.m.
In its first game of the season and game one-of-four at the Pirate-Spartan Invitational in Virginia, the Central Connecticut softball team defeated tournament co-host Norfolk State 7-3 Sunday evening. Senior Kaitlin Patterson led Central going 2-2 at the plate. Junior Sarah Ogilvie recorded three RBIs.
The Blue Devils got out to an early 3-0 lead after the first three innings. In the opening inning, rookie Rian Eigenmann got on base and stole second. Paterson hit a single to left field advancing Eigenmann to third. Ogilvie had her first RBI sending the ball out to right field allowing Eigenmann to score putting Central on the board 1-0.
In the second, sophomore Sydney Bolan cracked the ball deep to center field for a homerun on her first at bat making the score 2-0.
In the next inning, Ogilvie had a single to left field allowing freshman Carly Storker and Paterson to cross the plate for a 4-0 Central lead. After advancing to third from a single by Bolan, junior Giuliana Hathaway earned an RBI knocking the ball to the left allowing Ogilvie to score, pushing the lead 5-0.
Norfolk responded in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Jazzmaine Hammond walked to first before stealing second and third base. Alison Guckin had the first RBI of the day for the Spartans sending Hammond across the plate with a single to center field putting NSU on the board. The Spartans had two RBIs in the fifth inning to cut the Central lead 5-3.
CCSU iced the game in the top of the final inning pushing the lead 7-3 with and RBI from Storker. Bolan advanced Storker to third base with a hit up the left side and Storker capitalized on a Spartan fielding error, scoring Central's final run of the day. The Blue Devils held onto the win allowing just one hit in the bottom of the seventh to earn its first win of the season.
Storker went all seven innings, struck out three Spartans, and surrendered five walks for her first time in the circle for the Blue Devils.
Central softball plays St. Bonaventure in its second game of the day in the Pirate-Spartan classic tonight at 8 p.m.
