MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – 2013 Northeast Conference Player of the Year Kat Malcolm went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI's and two runs scored as second-seeded Central Connecticut defeated the No. 3 Monmouth University softball team, 5-1, Thursday afternoon at the North Athletic Complex. The loss sets up a pairing with the loser of today's second game between Robert Morris and LIU Brooklyn, tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Tish Derer (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy), Vanessa Cardoza (Santa Ana, Calif./Ocean View), Kayla Weiser (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area), Shannon Fitzgerald (Santa Clarita, Calif./Valencia) and Kaitie Schumacher (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) each had a hit for the Hawks. Fitzgerald drove in the lone run, scored by Cardoza. Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) took the loss in the circle, allowing five earned runs on nine hits and two walks, striking out six.
Arielle Bruno added two hits and two runs scored for the Blue Devils, while Nicole Springer and Kelsey Barlow also drove in a run for CCSU. All-NEC First Team pitcher Laura Messina earned the win for the Blue Devils, allowing one earned run on five hits and a walk, striking out seven.
The Blue Devils immediately jumped out in front, 2-0, in the bottom of the first. Bruno singled and Malcolm followed with a two-run home run to center. CCSU continued to threaten, loading the bases with no outs, but Sulick got two strikeouts and an infield fly to extinguish the threat.
CCSU padded its lead with three runs In the fourth. The Blue Devils got a leadoff pinch-hit single as Stephanie Chotkevys popped weakly in front of the plate. Weiser's diving attempt up the third base line tipped off the end of her glove and Chotkevys reached safely. Sulick couldn't get the call on the outside corner on the payoff pitch to Bruno to put runners on first and second before Malcolm singled up the middle to score pinch runner Katie Schmidt. A Springer single and Barlow sacrifice fly accounted for the second and third runs of the inning to put CCSU on top, 5-0.
The Hawks led off the seventh with three-straight singles by Cardoza, Weiser and Fitzgerald, the last of which drove in Monmouth's first lone of the game. But Messina got two flyouts and a strikeout to end the game.
