Central Connecticut Takes Doubleheader From Softball

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils swept a doubleheader from the University of Hartford softball team in mid-week action on Wednesday afternoon at the UH Softball Field. The Blue Devils took game one by a final of 10-1 and squeezed by with a 7-6 victory in the nightcap. Hartford drops to 15-18 overall with the losses.

Senior Jaclyn Logan muscled out three home runs - one in the first game and a pair in game two - to lead Central Connecticut (18-26 overall) at the plate. Liz Montemurro threw every pitch of the twinbill and improved her mark to 12-15. The junior combined for 10 strikeouts, allowing six earned runs on 14 hits in 12.0 innings of work.

Central Connecticut exploded for 10 runs on 13 hits to earn the 10-1, five-inning victory over the Hawks in game one. Liz Montemurro allowed just five hits for the Blue Devils. Five batters notched multi-hit games with Becca Budrick finishing 3-for-4 with two runs. Right fielder Kelsey Barlow knocked in four runs and scored twice on a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.

Freshman Jessica Oliveira led Hartford's offense with a pair of hits, while Sara Messinger knocked in the Hawks' lone run.

The Blue Devils scored five runs on five hits to jump out to an early 5-0 lead in the opening inning. Becca Mussatti led off the game with an infield hit to the pitcher and Budwick singled her up to second base. Catcher Kat Knowles landed a bunt out of reach of any fielders, and loaded the bases for the first time for the Blue Devils. A single off the bat of Logan plated Mussatti for the first run of the game. With the bases juiced, Barlow launched a grand slam to push Central Connecticut out at front at 5-0. Siera Sheehan got out of the remainder of the inning with ease as she induced Macy Stefanski and Sarah Vlahos into ground outs and struck out Kendall Sours.

Hartford got on the scoreboard with a single run in the bottom of the second. An error allowed Kamena to reach base with two outs in the bottom of the frame, and Oliveira slapped a slow roller and beat out the throw for an infield hit. Messinger cranked a single down the left field line and scored Kamena for the Hawks' first, and only, run of the afternoon.

The Blue Devils added five more runs to build the 10-1 lead in the fifth inning. Budrick led off the fifth with a double to left centerfield gap and after advancing to third on a sac bunt, she crossed home plate on a two-run shot by Logan. Barlow took first base on a high fly ball that got caught in the wind, and on the first pitch of her at-bat, Vlahos powered a home run over the centerfield wall. Central Connecticut added another notch to the scoreboard on back-to-back doubles by Kendall Sours and Stefanski.

Sheehan finished the game with a pair of strikeouts.

Central Connecticut was quick to get on the board again in game two as it plated two runs to open the game. Logan's second long ball of the afternoon with two down plated Mussatti who singled to lead off the nightcap.

The Blue Devils continued to rally with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Mussatti roped her second hit of the game to left center fielder to get Central Connecticut's bats going in the third before Budrick powered her squad's fourth home run into the center field nets to build the Blue Devil's lead to 4-0. Senior Ann Kyzer got the Hawks out of the inning without any more damage with her diving catch in shallow right field.

Hartford responded and got three runs back in the bottom of the stanza. Erica Phelps lined a grounder down the middle of the infield and was moved up on Oliveira's sac bunt. After moving to third base on a passed ball, Shannon Simpkins came through with an RBI triple to get the Hawks on the scoreboard. Another triple, this time off the bat of Amanda Dilworth, scored Simpkins from third to bring Hartford back into the contest at 4-2. Hartford plated its final run of the frame on Springer's base-hit to centerfield.

The Blue Devils cushioned its lead to 7-3 with a three-run shot off the bat of Logan in the top of the fifth. Hartford clawed back in the game however with a three run seventh inning rally, but was unable to manufacture the game-tying run. Rookie Jordan Haines opened the Hawks' final at-bats with a blooper to centerfield. Phelps followed with a single allowing pinch hitter Olivia Piacentini's double to plate Haines from second. With a pair of runners in scoring position and just one out in the frame, Dilworth pulled a bases clearing double down the right field line to bring Hartford back in the game at 7-6. Montemurro induced a pair of ground outs to close out the game and earn her second win of the afternoon.

Springer earned the start inside the circle for the Hawks and finished with four strikeouts. The rookie allowed seven runs on nine hits.

The Hawks host the UMBC Retrievers in their final home conference series of the 2010 season. Hartford will honor its four seniors – Rachel Clonick, Kyzer, Messinger andPiacentini – with a ceremony prior to the first game of Saturday's doubleheader (May 1). First pitch of the series is slated for 1:00 p.m.

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