Erickson and Sours Each Have Three-Hit Day at Fairfield, Blue Devils Lose Both Games

Central Connecticut (4-13) lost both games of a non-conference doubleheader at Fairfield (9-14). The Blue Devils dropped the opener, 6-4, before falling, 7-6, in the second contest. Junior Tiffany Erickson and sophomore Kendall Sours each totaled three hits on the day.

Fairfield took a 3-0 lead in the second inning of game one, but the Blue Devils chipped away with one run in the third, one run in the fourth and one run in the fifth. Sophomore Katherine Knowles had an RBI double in the third inning. Junior Jaclyn Logan drove in the fourth-inning run with a single, and Sours had an RBI double in the fifth. The Stags regained the lead with two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth. Sours had an RBI single in the seventh to account for CCSU's final run.

The Blue Devils had bases loaded with nobody out in the top of the seventh when Sours drove in the fourth run, but sophomore Sarah Minice worked out of the jam with a pop out and two strikeouts.

Minice threw the complete game, scattering seven hits while striking out six. Senior Jenna DiBernardo had a home run for the Stags, while senior Lisa Meringer and sophomore Kristina Lingo each collected two hits. Knowles and Sours had two hits apiece for Central Connecticut. Senior Rachel Brenneman took the loss on the mound. She struck out four while allowing all six runs. Only one of the runs was earned.

The teams only made it through five and a half innings in the second game. Fairfield again took an early lead, going up 4-0 after two innings. And Central Connecticut again went ahead. The Blue Devils scored five times in the third inning.

Freshman Kelli Griffiths drove in the first run with a double, and junior Sara Budrick followed with an RBI single. Griffiths came around to scored on a passed ball before freshman Samantha Cieri drove in two with a double. The Stags took the lead back in the bottom half of the third. They scored twice, and then matched CCSU's fifth inning run (an RBI single from Erickson).

Erickson, Earley and sophomore Erica Koehler each had two hits in the loss. Sophomore Elizabeth Montemurro gave up seven runs, five earned, on 12 hits over five innings. Sophomore Danielle Iovino picked up the win with 3.2 innings of relief work. Lingo and junior Dani Griswold had two hits apiece for Fairfield.

The second game was called due to darkness.

Central Connecticut will begin Northeast Conference play this weekend. The Blue Devils travel to Fairleigh Dickinson for doubleheader action on Saturday, March 28. Game one is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. CCSU will then face Sacred Heart in Fairfield on Sunday, March 29. The first game of that doubleheader will start at noon.