Central CT beats Stanford

[jonriv]

The Central Connecticut softball team dropped a 3-2 decision to Toledo on Saturday morning before shutting out #15 NFCA ranked Stanford 5-0 in game two of the doubleheader in Clearwater, FL. Junior Kat Malcolm and freshman Alexis Debrosse each hit a two-run homer in the win.



GAME #2 vs. Stanford

Junior Laura Messina made her second appearance of the season in the circle against #15 Stanford (16-5), tallying her second-consecutive shutout of the season. Messina struck out five batters while allowing eight hits and two walks.

Messina now posts 21 career shutouts, adding to her own CCSU program record. She also added to her strikeout record, which now stands at 468.

The Blue Devils got started early, posting three runs in the top of the second. Sophomore Kenya McVey kicked off the inning with a double to left center. Debrosse followed it up with her first collegiate home run, giving CCSU a 2-0 lead. The Cardinals made a pitcher change after sophomore Hannah Cooper sent a double down the left line.

With Cooper on third, junior Kat Malcolm stepped up to the plate for her second double of the weekend, driving Cooper across the plate for a 3-0 lead.

CCSU struck again in the top of the fourth when Malcolm, who tied the CCSU single-season home run record in 2013 (10), blasted a homer, driving walked batter Ernst home and increasing the lead to five.

The Central defense stayed solid throughout the game, completing seven errorless innings.

The Blue Devils tallied eight hits and just three strikeouts in the matchup. Malcolm, Debrosse and Cooper led CCSU on offense, each going 2-for-4 at the plate. Malcolm and Debrosse also earned two RBI each.



GAME #1 vs. Toledo

Sophomore Sarah Gaalswijk made her first start in the circle as a Blue Devil, posting two strikeouts, two walks and two hits in three innings. Senior Julie Marks took over in the bottom of the fourth and allowed three hits and three runs, just one earned, while walking one. Marks takes the loss and her record drops to 0-2.

After five scoreless innings, the Blue Devils were the first to put a run on the board. Senior Tessa Brown smacked a single in the top of the sixth that landed her on first. Brown was brought in by a double from sophomore Eileen Purcell on the following at bat to put CCSU up 1-0.

Toledo (4-9) answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, however, when a back-to-back error and a walk resulted in two runners on base who would eventually score.

Heading into the top of the seventh down by one, Central tied it up when freshman Sarah Drazin crossed the plate for her second run of the weekend.

The Rockets took the game in the bottom of the seventh when Chandler Rice doubled with no outs to bring in Alyssa Smith, who had reached first on error and stolen second.

CCSU tallied four hits in the game, led by Brown who posted two. Brown went 2-for-3 at the plate with one run.