NEW HAVEN—On paper, it could have been billed as a showdown between two of the top college softball pitchers in the state.
Southern Connecticut State University’s Ashley Lewis (Colubmia/E.O. Smith), a junior who opened the season with back-to-back no-hitters, faced the University of Bridgeport’s sixth-year senior Kaite Burawski, who also has one no-hitter this season, in the opening game of a Thursday afternoon doubleheader between the two NCAA Division 2 teams.
In game one, Burawski (pictured above) fired a complete-game one-hitter, striking out eight and walking one, as UB posted an 8-0 win over the Owls at Pelz Field.
In game two, though, Southern bounced back to post a 5-4 walk-off win in eight innings.
The Owls are now 5-1 on the season while the Purple Knights moved to 10-6 overall.
In the opener, the pitcher’s duel began as expected with both hurlers putting up zeroes.
Lewis’ quest for a third straight no-hitter, however, ended with two outs in the first inning when UB’s Mya Jones singled to right field.
It was the Purple Knights, however, that did put up the game’s first run in the third inning.
Madison D’Amato led off with a double to center field. With two outs, Angela Oros singled and Bridgeport led by a 1-0 score.
In the fifth the Purple Knights blew the game open by putting up a five-spot against Lewis..
Jones, Oros, McKenzie Morgan and Charlee Horton (Stamford/St. Joseph) all had RBIs in the inning with Oros’ double plating two.
Bridgeport invoked the run rule after Jones delivered a two-run double to right to make it an 8-0 game, and the Knights blanked the Owls again in the home half of the inning to end things.
Southern, which had broken up Burawski’s no-hitter in the fourth when Rebecca Miller (Waterford) singled, just couldn’t get its offense going against the Purple Knights ace.
Burawski improved to 5-3 overall with a 1.97 ERA. She has struck out 62 in 49.2 innings.
Lewis slipped to 2-1. She scattered nine hits over five innings of work, striking out four and walking two.
Jones was 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs for the Purple Knights while Oros was 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs. D’Amato had two hits and three runs scored for UB while Samantha Ledger also had two hits.
For SCSU, Miller’s base hit was the lone safety for the Owls while Izzy Ingersoll (Norwalk/Notre Dame-Fairfield) later drew a walk.
In the nightcap, Southern bounced back to take the win.
With the game tied 4-4 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Owls found a way to push a run across.
Under international tie-breaking rules, Olivia Young (Sterling/Mount St. Charles Academy) began the inning on the second. Young coincidentally transferred to SCSU from Bridgeport.
Kayla Wakely then laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached first on a fielder’s choice as Young advanced to third base safely.
Nadia Cestari (Naugatuck) also reached on a fielder’s choice as Young stayed at third base, loading the bases with nobody out.
Cassidy Sullivan, a freshman, then put the ball into a play for another fielder’s choice that allowed Young to score to wrap up SCSU’s 5-4 win.
Sullivan finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Owls. Six other Owls had single hits with Ingersoll and Young notching RBIs.
For Bridgeport, Oros was 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. D’Amato was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and a triple.
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