Blue Devils Open NEC Softball Slate With Sweep Of LeMoyne

The Central Connecticut State softball team opened its 2025 Northeast Conference schedule in fine style on a chilly Saturday afternoon in New Britain with a sweep of the visiting LeMoyne College Dolphins, as the Blue Devils brought out the big bats to win game one, 9-1, in five innings and completed the sweep by taking a 2-1 pitchers' duel in the nightcap.  The victories give Central a four-game winning streak and a 6-13 overall mark and a 2-0 NEC record.  LeMoyne falls to 7-15 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

LeMOYNE GAME ONE |BOX SCORE

Score:  CCSU 9, LeMoyne 1-5 inns.
Records: CCSU (5-13, 1-0 NEC), LeMoyne (7-14, 0-1 NEC)
Location: CCSU Softball Field |New Britain, Conn.

LeMOYNE GAME TWO |BOX SCORE

Score:  CCSU 2, LeMoyne 1
Records: CCSU (6-13, 3-0 NEC), LeMoyne (7-15, 0-2 NEC)
Location: CCSU Softball Field |New Britain, Conn.

KEY MOMENTS FROM SATURDAY'S GAME ONE VICTORY:

• CCSU scored in the bottom of the first on an RBI-double by Reagan Vunak that saw Ashley Viesta scamper across the plate.
• With score tied 1-1, Kassandra (KC) Machado blasted her fifth home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth; a two-run shot to right-center to give the Blue Devils a 3-1 lead.
• Central would end the game by run-rule in the bottom of the fifth scoring six times on an RBI-single by Ashley Viesta, a sacrifice fly by Machado to give her three runs batted in in the opener, an RBI-single by Skyler Warn and a base-clearing, three-RBI double to centerfield by Ava Cino.
• As a team, CCSU had a total of nine hits in game one led by two each by Reagan Vunak and Ashley Viesta.
• Liz Hamilton was dominant in the pitching circle to take the win in the opener to even her season record at 3-3.  Hamilton fired a complete game in which she allowed only three hits over five innings in which she fanned nine batters and issued only one walk.

KEY MOMENTS FROM SATURDAY'S GAME TWO TRIUMPH:

• CCSU scored in single runs in the second inning on a passed ball and in the third inning on a LeMoyne error to take a 2-0 advantage.
• The Dolphins trimmed the Blue Devils lead to 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning and were threatening to score more, but Liz Hamilton put out the fire coming out the Blue Devils' bullpen in relief of starter and winner Alina Varga getting out of a two-out, bases loaded jam.
• LeMoyne thought they had tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh when with one out the Dolphins lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield that apparently scored a run, but that tying run was taken off the board on an appeal play that the runner left third base too early to end the game on a double play.
• Grace Lawton had two hits for CCSU in game two including a triple.
• Liz Hamilton, Saturday's game one winner, earned the save in game two with 1.1 innings of scoreless pitching
• Alina Varga (3-6) picked up the win for the Blue Devils in the nightcap working  5.2 innings in the circle in which she allowed one run on five hits with eight strikeouts and four walks.

UP NEXT:

• The Blue Devils and Dolphins wrap up their three-game game NEC series on Sunday  with a 12 noon single game at the CCSU Softball Field.