NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University softball team was one out away from earning a split in today's doubleheader at Central Connecticut State, but the Blue Devils walked off in game two to earn a sweep. SHU rallied in game one but by fell 6-4 before CCSU took game two by a 7-6 final score. 

Team Records
Sacred Heart (12-20, 4-7 NEC)
CCSU (15-10, 8-3 NEC)

Game 1: CCSU 6, SHU 4
Pitchers:
Liv Vadas (SHU) - (L, 3.0 innings pitched, 2 earned runs, 1 strikeout, 3-6 record)
Emily Heath (SHU) - (3.0 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 3 strikeouts)
Kaylee Whittaker (CCSU) - (W, 7.0 innings pitched, 4 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 13-5 record) 

Top Performers:
Amy Petrovich (SHU) – 2-3, 1 run, 2 RBI, 1 home run
Jenna Mowad (SHU) – 2-4, 1 run, 2 RBI, 2 doubles

Of Note:
The Blue Devils controlled the action in the first 4.0 innings of the opener, taking a 6-0 advantage by the fifth frame. CCSU hit three homers over the first four innings, two of which were solo shots. 

SHU's pitching staff settled in after the fourth, as it did not allow another run for the remainder of the game. 

Trailing 6-0 heading into the top of the seventh, the Pios made things interesting with some timely hitting. Two quick outs in the first three at-bats put Sacred Heart in a perilous position, but the Pioneers did not give up, scoring their first run of the game two batters later. 

With two on and two out, Jenna Mowad sent a deep flyball to right center, where the opposing outfielders misjudged the distance and let it drop for a bases-clearing double. Amy Petrovich then wasted no time in the next at-bat, slamming a ball over the right-center fence to cut the deficit to 6-4. Petrovich's homer is her third this season. 

Carly Koltko came up next and sent a double to right field to bring the game-tying run to home plate. With a hit in the nightcap, Koltko extended her hit streak to 12 games. Unfortunately for the Pios, the Blue Devils slammed the door shut on the comeback with a strikeout to secure the win in the opener. 

The duo of Liv Vadas and Emily Heath handled Sacred Heart's pitching duties in game one, as both tossed 3.0 innings. Vadas allowed two earned runs with a strikeout, while Heath ceded one earned run and struck out three.  

Game 2: CCSU 7, SHU 6
Pitchers:
Sam Kowalski (SHU) - (L, 6.2 innings pitched, 7 earned runs, 8 strikeouts, 5-9 record)
Kaylee Whittaker (CCSU) - (W, 7.0 innings pitched, 5 earned runs, 14-5 record) 

Top Performers:
Alyssa Gonzalez (SHU) – 2-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, 2 home runs
Jenna Mowad (SHU) – 2-2, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 2 doubles, 1 walk

Of Note:
SHU's rally in game one helped the Pios get off to a hot start in the nightcap. Sacred Heart scored twice in the first inning to storm ahead 2-0. Koltko plated the first run with a double following a leadoff double from Mowad. The next run was scored after a Blue Devils' error. 

Alyssa Gonzalez kicked off her outstanding outing in the top of the third with a homer to extend SHU's lead to 3-0. The senior then hit her second long ball of the game in the top of the fifth to give the Pios a 5-1 advantage. Gonzalez has hit 11 home runs this season, 48 in her storied career. 

After CCSU scored a run in the bottom of the fifth, SHU added to its total with an RBI double from Mowad. Mowad's fourth double of the afternoon extended SHU's advantage to 6-3. 

Unfortunately for Sacred Heart, the Blue Devils' offense came alive in the bottom of the seventh inning. Central strung together four runs on five hits in the final frame to earn a walk-off victory in game two. 

Despite suffering the loss, Sam Kowalski pitched well this afternoon, as she tied a season-high with eight strikeouts. The first year retired five of the first seven Central batters with strikeouts. 

Up Next
The Pios and Blue Devils will cap this weekend's series tomorrow at noon at the CCSU Softball Field.