NEW BRITAIN, CT – Siena Softball (15-13, 4-0) saw its six-game winning streak come to an end Tuesday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep at the hands of non-conference foe Central Connecticut State. The Blue Devils recorded a 4-0 shutout win before walking off in an 8-7 extra inning victory at the CCSU Softball Field in New Britain, Connecticut.
 
Central Connecticut State 4, Siena 0
 
The Saints, who entered the afternoon after putting together a perfect 6-0 run last week, were out-hit, 10-3, and unable to get on the scoreboard to open their first games against CCSU since 2018. The Blue Devils immediately got on the board with an RBI single in the bottom of the first, and held a close lead through the early innings of the game. The home team added a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and two more runs off an RBI double in the fifth.
 
Siena mustered just four base-runners during the loss, with sophomore Isabella Pardo, junior Sophia Caputo, and junior Emma McLaughlin each registering a base knock. Central Connecticut's Kaylee Whittaker (2-7) struck out four in a complete game win in the circle, while Siena's Ava Fitzmaurice (9-5) suffered the loss with four strikeouts over three and two-thirds innings.  
 
Central Connecticut State 8, Siena 7 (8)
 
The Saints' offense woke up in the second contest and nearly hung on to what would have been a three-run comeback victory. After junior Antonia Alba sent home classmate Jocelyn Ulrich on an RBI ground out in the first, the Blue Devils tacked on four runs in a crooked third innings by way of a sacrifice fly and a three-run home run.
 
Siena used the big-fly to claw its way back into action, with Ulrich launching her third home run of the season by way of a solo shot in the fourth. Fitzmaurice came in to score on a fielder's choice and bring the visitors within a run in the fifth before senior Sabrina Vargas went deep to dead center to record her second collegiate grand slam and put the Saints up, 7-4.
 
Despite Vargas' offensive heroics, CCSU rallied for a three-run frame in the home half of the sixth by way of an error, RBI double, and a sacrifice fly to knot the game at seven and send Siena to its fourth extra-inning affair of the season thus far. Siena stranded a runner on first in the top of the eighth to pave the way for a solo home run to give CCSU the doubleheader sweep.
 
The Blue Devils held a 10-8 hits advantage, with Vargas and Fitzmaurice each recording multi-hit games. Junior Nicole Patille (5-3) took the loss in the circle for the Saints over two and two-thirds innings, while Whittaker (3-7) re-entered for the home team to record her second straight victory over three and one-third innings.
 
Siena will remain on the road to round out an 18-game road trip when it travels to Lowell, Massachusetts for doubleheader action against America East foe UMass Lowell on Thursday, April 7.