SMITHFIELD, R.I. – In a tale of two games, the Bryant University softball team split a big matchup with Central Connecticut State, dropping Game 1, 10-2, before coming back to win Game 2, 7-2, Sunday afternoon at Conaty Park.

Senior shortstop Aubrey Mable (Aurora, Colo.) led Bryant (22-15, 8-2 Northeast Conference) at the dish amassing four hits, three RBI and two runs scored, while sophomore pitcher Elle Madsen (Wheat Ridge, Colo.) continued to be the backbone of the Bulldog lineup, throwing all 14 innings Sunday afternoon.

Game 1

In the first leg of Sunday's double dip, the two teams battled to a 2-2 tie after five full innings but a huge sixth inning for the Blue Devils (21-12, 7-3 NEC) led to an eventual 10-2 win for the visitors.

After some savvy baserunning from sophomores Liana Ogata (Tustin, Calif.) and Hayley Bottino (Canyon Country, Calif.) resulted in a run to knot the score, 1-1 in the bottom of the second, the Bulldogs took the lead, 2-1, in the fourth thanks an absolute bomb down the left field line from Madsen. The homer was Madsen's 11th of the season, setting the new single-season Bryant home run mark.

In the next half inning, Central Connecticut tied it up again as Alexis Debrosse scored on a Eileen Purcell sacrifice fly to center field.

Heading into the sixth inning, both Madsen and CCSU starter Laura Messina had dominated opposing hitters since the get go, however in the top of the sixth, the Blue Devils exploded for six runs on seven hits, jumping out to a commanding 8-2 lead.

Central tacked on two more in the top of the seventh to push their edge to eight, 10-2, as the Black and Gold had no answer at the dish.

Messina held the Bryant hitters to just two runs (one earned) on five hits to go along five eight strikeouts, while Madsen allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on 17 hits despite fanning nine Blue Devil batters.

"As a whole we played extremely timid in Game 1," said Bryant head coach Shayne Lotito. "We didn't play our game and didn't play up to our potential, and as a result we didn't take care of business when we needed to."

Game 2

Game 2 however told a different story for the Black and Gold as they responded in a big way, earning a hard-fought, 7-2, victory.

Madsen was lights out in her fourth start of the weekend, allowing just two runs (one earned) on eight hits, striking out seven in the process. On the weekend, Madsen went 3-1, allowing just 12 earned runs in 28 innings, fanning 21 batters in the process.

"Elle was unstoppable," stated Lotito. "Her fourth start in two days was her best performance of the entire weekend."

Central struck first, in the top of the second, when Sami Suffy singled through the left side to score Kat Malcolm. However, Bryant responded in the bottom of the fourth inning when back-to-back hits, first a RBI double to center field from Mable and then a two-run base knock to right from Madeline Velasquez (Los Angeles, Calif.), granted the hosts a 3-1 lead.

CCSU cut the deficit to just one when Sarah Drazin drove home Malcolm in the top of the sixth, but the Bulldogs tacked on four insurance runs in the bottom half of the innings highlighted by a Mable two-run double and RBI singles from seniors Kendall Corder (Carmichael, Calif.) and Lauren Guy (La Habra, Calif.).

In the top of the seventh, Madsen retired the Blue Devils in order to close the door and pick up her team-leading 16th victory of the season.

"In the second game, we came out with different mindset," added Lotito. "We understood that it was going to be a dog fight until the very last out and we played aggressive throughout the entire game, proving to ourselves that we are a championships contender.

"Our seniors led us at the plate as we were able to overcame some adversity on the field, taking the game into our own hands and in the end, had the ability to determine our own fate."

With the Sunday split, the Bulldogs separate themselves from the rest of the NEC and currently sit in first place, one game ahead of CCSU.

"Splitting with [Central Connecticut] and going 3-1 this weekend sets tone for what we are capable of," noted Lotito. "We have put ourselves in a good position thus far, but we know we still have a lot of work to do."

Looking ahead, the Bulldogs will break up conference action with an in-state tilt at URI on Wednesday before making the trek to Pennsylvania for showdowns at Robert Morris on Friday and at Saint Francis U. on Sunday.

For all the latest news on the Bryant University softball team, visit BryantBulldogs.com.