BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The No. 3 Seahawks defeated No. 2 CCSU in the first round of the NEC Softball Tournament on Thursday, 3-1.
The Blue Devils took the lead early in the bottom of the first, as a walk, a base hit and a hit-by-pitch, led to a bases-loaded walk and a 1-0 lead for CCSU. Junior starting pitcher
Karson Zavala was able to limit the damage to just the one run after a ground out to end the frame.
Zavala settled in after the first inning and threw three more scoreless innings after giving up the one run. She finished her day with a pair of strikeouts and left five runners on base through four innings.
The Wagner bats could not answer through those first four innings however, as CCSU pitching would retire 11 straight batters after surrendering a lead-off walk to start the game. The dry spell ended in the fourth inning, when junior third baseman
Sydnie Trujillo roped a base hit up the middle with two outs.
The Seahawks finally broke through in the top of the fifth. With a runner on first base and two outs, senior first baseman
Geanice Morales pulled a single into right field. Sophomore pinch-runner
Lilly Banse scored from first on the play after the right fielder's throw to third base went wide, which tied the game up at a run apiece.
Wagner took its first lead in the next inning, when Trujillo poked an RBI single the opposite way and put the Seahawks up 2-1. They added an insurance run in the seventh, after Buchanan scored from second on an infield hit from Morales, her second knock of the day.
Freshman pitcher
Samantha Lotus came into the game in relief and retired all nine batters she faced. Through three innings, the NEC All-Rookie team member struck out three batters and threw only 24 pitches. A ground ball to Trujillo secured the 3-1 victory for the Seahawks, as they advanced in the winner's bracket. Both Morales and Trujillo picked up a pair of hits and an RBI in the win.
The Seahawks will continue their chase for a title when they play tournament host and No. 1 seed LIU on Friday, May 8 starting at 10 a.m. With a win, the Green and White will advance directly to the championship game on Saturday, May 9.
All NEC Softball Tournament games will take place at the LIU Softball Complex in Brooklyn, NY, and will stream on ESPN+.
