Softball Splits Doubleheader at CCSU in Nonconference Finale

Saturday, April 25

New Britain, CT

12:00 PM

Sacred Heart

19-28

Central Connecticut State

24-15

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Sacred Heart	1	0	3	0	2	0	0	6	7	0
Central Conn. St.	0	0	1	0	1	5	X	7	12	3

Softball Splits Doubleheader at CCSU in Nonconference Finale

4/25/2026 5:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Henke homered in both games, up to 19 in her career

By: Josh Smith

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University softball team split a road doubleheader at Central Connecticut State on Saturday afternoon to close out its nonconference slate, winning the second game by a 5-0 final score. The Blue Devils took the opener 7-6 with a comeback in the sixth inning.

Team Records:
Sacred Heart (20-28)
CCSU (24-16)

Game 1: CCSU 7, SHU 6
Pitchers:
Emily Heath (SHU) – (L, 6.0 innings pitched, 7 earned runs, 2 strikeouts, 5-12 record)
Hailey Strunk (CCSU) – (5.0 innings pitched, 4 earned runs)
Gracie Granate (CCSU) – (W, 2.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 2-7 record)

Top Performers:
Nicole Henke– 2-3, 3 RBIs, 1 run, 1 home run
Cierra Bender – 2-4, 2 runs, 1 double

How It Happened:
It didn't take the Pioneers long to break onto the scoreboard in the first game, going up 1-0 in the opening inning. With two on and two out, Alexa Barbera drove Cierra Bender home from second base with a deep single to right field.

SHU added to its lead in the top of the third. The Pios took advantage of a defensive mistake by CCSU to start off the inning, as the Blue Devils' infield allowed a routine popup to fall in the pitching circle, resulting in a Bender double. Charlene Davis then blasted a double to left center to make it 2-0 Pios. The advantage grew to 4-0 after Nicole Henke powered a homer over the left field fence.

After CCSU scored its first run of the day in the bottom of the third, SHU answered in the top of the fifth. After an error and a single to open the inning, Henke tallied her third RBI of the game with single to left field, scoring Teagan Dwyer. In the next at-bat, Kathryn Hotle drove Davis home with a sac fly to make it 6-1 SHU.

Unfortunately for the Pios, they did not score anymore runs after the fifth. However, CCSU scored one on the fifth and five in the sixth to swing the game. A three-run homer by the Blue Devils made the score 7-6 CCSU, which ended up being the opener's final score.

Game 2: SHU 5, CCSU 0
Pitchers:
Emily Campion (SHU) – (W, 7.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 2 strikeouts, 4-6 record)
Liz Hamilton (CCSU) – (L, 6.0 innings pitched, 5 earned runs, 1 strikeout, 14-5 record)
Gracie Granate (CCSU) – (1.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs)

Top Performers:
Charlene Davis – 3-4, 1 double
Jess Brown – 2-2, 1 run, 2 doubles, 1 walk
Elle Leckrone – 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 double

How It Happened:
Game two had a similar start to the first, as the Pios quickly found themselves ahead 1-0 after a Barbera RBI. Unlike the opener, however, the Pioneers left the first leading 4-0 following Henke's second home run of the day, as senior sent a blast over the center field fence.

After two scoreless innings, the Pios added to their lead in the top of the fourth inning. Jess Brown started off the surge with a one-out double, her second of the game. Leckrone stepped to the plate next and smacked a double of her own down the right-field line to plate the speedy Brown easily to make it 5-0 Pioneers.

Emily Campion made the most of her five-run lead, not allowing her first hit until the fourth inning. Campion did not allow more than one base runner in any inning, finishing with just two hits in a complete-game win.

Noteworthy:

SHU tallied its 10th 10-hit game of the season in game two.
Henke added to her career high with her seventh and eighth home runs of the year.
Henke now has 19 home runs in her career.
Campion has won three straight games and allowed three or less hits in all three.
Campion has four wins on the season.
Barbera tallied an RBI in both games and is up to 14 this year.
Leckrone now has 98 career hits.

Up Next:
Sacred Heart ends the regular season at Quinnipiac on May 1-2 for a three-game MAAC series. The opening game of the weekend is slated to start at noon on Friday.