Machado's Walk-Off Homer Lifts Softball To First Win Of 2025

After freshman Joslyn Teal homered to lead off the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 1-1, senior Kassandra (KC) Machado blasted a two-out, solo home run to left center in the bottom of the eighth to lift the CCSU softball team to its first win of the 2025 season, 2-1, over the visiting Iona University Gaels in the opener of a Saturday non-conference doubleheader in New Britain.  Iona came back to earn a spilt of the two games taking the nightcap, 7-0.  With the doubleheader spilt, the Blue Devils are now 1-8 on the season; while the Gaels move to 4-8 overall.

GAME ONE INFORMATION |BOX SCORE

Score:  CCSU 2, Iona 1-8 inns.
Records: CCSU (1-7, 0-0 NEC), Iona (3-8, 0-0 MAAC)
Location: CCSU Softball Field |New Britain, Conn.

GAME TWO INFORMATION |BOX SCORE

Score:  Iona 7, CCSU 0
Records: CCSU (1-8, 0-0 NEC), Iona (4-8, 0-0 MAAC)
Location: CCSU Softball Field |New Britain, Conn.

KEY MOMENTS FROM GAME ONE:

• Iona broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning on a solo home run by Brooke Acker.
• The score would remain 1-0 in favor of the Gaels until the bottom of the seventh inning when Joslyn Teal led off the frame with her first collegiate home run to knot things at 1-1 and send the game into extra innings.
• After CCSU's Alina Varga held Iona off the scoreboard in the top of the eighth, Kassandra (KC) Machado ended things on a happy note for CCSU fans with her third homer of 2025, a majestic two-out blast to left-centerfield.
• Ashlyn Desauliners had two hits in Saturday's opener.
• Skylar Warn added a double for in Saturday's lid lifter, as the Blue Devils amassed seven hits as a team in game one.
• In the pitching circle, Alina Varga (1-3) was simply outstanding to earn the win for Central, as she fired an eight-inning complete game,  in which she allowed only one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and five walks.
• Iona's Samatha Reib was the hard-luck loser in game one for the visitors as she too worked a completed striking eight and issuing only one free pass.

KEY MOMENTS FROM GAME TWO:

• The Gaels would score all their runs in the first four innings pushing across one in the first, two in the second, three in the third and one more in the fourth frame.
• As a team, Iona had three home runs in the nightcap.
• Starter Allison Hoppe earned her second win of the weekend for the visitors limiting CCSU to only four hits in game two, as she fanned four and walked only one pitching a shutout.
• Joslyn Teal added two more hits including a double in the nightcap for the Blue Devils.
• Skylar Warm added a two-bagger, and Ava Cino had a single for Central's other hits in game two.
• Freshman Gracie Granate (0-1) made her  first collegiate start and took the loss, as she worked 1.2 innings; allowing three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
• Liz Hamilton, the third of three CCSU hurlers in game two, did a fine job out the bullpen working 4.2 innings; allowing only one run.

NOTES:

• Iona won three of the four games in the weekend series.

UP NEXT

• The Blue Devils close out their six-game homestand on Tuesday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader against the Rider University Broncos.