The Central Connecticut State University softball team picked up a hard fought victory in extra innings over LIU in the first game of the 2021 Northeast Conference Tournament. The Blue Devils trailed in the sixth inning, but fought back to earn the win. With the win, Central snapped a seven game losing streak to LIU and will move on to play the top seeded Red Flash of Saint Francis.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: CCSU 6, LIU 4 (8 innings)
Records: CCSU (23-13, 20-8 NEC), LIU (25-8, 25-6 NEC)
Location: Red Flash Softball Field | Loretto, PA
Pitching Records: W: Antonazzo (4-4) | L: Irvis (6-2) | Sv: Hunte (4)
KEY MOMENTS
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Junior Kari Marks had trouble finding the strike zone early, walking three of the first four batters for LIU. However, Marks was able to escape a bases loaded jam, getting Samantha Garcia to fly out to left field.
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Central got on the board first in the second inning off a solo shot to straight away center field from designated player Bri Walker. It was the third dinger of the season for Walker and gave CCSU a 1-0 lead.
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Rian Eigenmann led off the third inning with a double down the left field line, her second hit of the game. After a sacrifice bunt from Backlund, freshman Paige Stringer brought the runner home with a line drive base hit. The poke gave CCSU a 2-0 edge.
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LIU finally found its offense in the 5th inning, scoring three runs to take the lead. Kiana Cisneros provided the big hit with a single up the middle to score two.
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The Blue Devils would battle right back, as senior Bri Walker blasted her second solo home run of the ballgame to tie the game at three a piece. It was the first multiple home run game of her career.
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Central nearly surrendered the lead back in the sixth inning, but a run was saved on a textbook relay from Meg Dugas in center field. The play went down as a 8-6-2 out at home plate and the game remained tied.
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In the top of the seventh, Central was able to put runners on first and second with no outs. Paige Stringer then grounded into a fielder’s choice to second, but a throwing error by the LIU shortstop allowed Carli Backlund to score and CCSU took a 4-3 advantage.
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The Sharks would be down to its final strike, when Kiana Cisneros doubled to left field and scored the runner from first base on a questionable call at the plate. The game went into extra innings notched at 4-4.
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In the eighth, senior Kaitlin Paterson delivered a clutch base hit with two outs and drove home a pair of runs. It was the first hit of the game for Paterson, who came into the game hitting a team leading .416 at the dish.
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With a 6-4 lead in the bottom half of the inning, Ashley Antonazzo recorded the first out and head coach Breanna Gleason went to the bullpen. Freshman Anaya Hunte made her way to the mound and took care of business. Hunte earned her fourth save of the season and Central took game one of the NEC Tournament.
NUMBER TO KNOW
2 – It was the second extra inning game of the season for CCSU, improving to 1-1 with the win.
NOTES
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Bri Walker, Kaitlin Paterson, and Paige Stringer each recorded two runs batted in for the Blue Devils.
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Catcher Rian Eigenmann finished 2-5 with two lead off doubles and scored one run.
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Ashley Antonazzo picked up the win, after dealing three innings and allowing just one run. She improved her record to 4-4 on the season.
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Junior Kari Marks dealt a solid 4.1 innings, striking out two batters and allowing three runs.
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Shortstop Carli Backlund went 2-3 with a walk and scored two huge runs for the Blue Devils.
UP NEXT
The Blue Devils face off with the number one seeded Saint Francis U Red Flash tomorrow at 10:00 am on ESPN3 and Necfrontrow.com.