Box Score- UNH 4, SCSU 2

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The No. 10 University of New Haven softball team silenced a seven inning rally from Southern Connecticut State to hold on to a 4-2 win and secure themselves a trip to the NCAA Div. II East Super Regional. Solo home runs from Shannon Angehr (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue ) and Gabby Cruz (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore ) along with an RBI triple from Christina Gelardi (Derby, Conn./Derby) highlighted the Chargers 41st win of the season - the most in program history. The Chargers improve to 41-6 overall, while the Owls will end their season with a 42-13 record.

The fourth and final meeting of the season between the rival Chargers and Owls was as exciting as predicated. Despite the Chargers finishing 4-0 against their cross-town foe, the games have always come down to the last at bat and Sunday’s game was no different as UNH slinger Breanne Gleason (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Central ) was staring at the winning run at the plate with two outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh. A high popup to Cruz at first sealed the win for the Chargers and a trip to the East Super Regional to face No. 6 Molloy May 21-22.

The Chargers got an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Chelsea Harold (Oxford, Conn./Seymour ) lead the game off with a single to left field and swiped second when the left fielder mishandled the ball. Gleason laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring Harold to third, followed by a sacrifice fly produced by Nicole Downs (Seymour, Conn./Seymour) that brought her in.

The Owls threatened in the bottom of the stanza, but Div. II’s top defense, boosting a .978 fielding percentage, stifled Southern’s attempt. With runners on first and third and two outs, the Owl’s Kristen Whitley at first went to steal second, a routine play. However, UNH’s catcher Allison Vaughan (Medford, N.J./Shawnee ) fired it down to shortstop Gelardi who froze Whitley between the bases. Meghan Caporossi at third opted to go for home, however Gelardi fired right back to Vaughan who tagged a sliding Caporossi to preserve the 1-0 lead.

After a quick second inning, UNH extend the lead to 2-0 with Angehr’s dinger over the left field fence in the top of the third.

The Owls brought the game within a run in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single from Kristen Whitley.

In the sixth inning, the teams traded runs. After Lucy Francisco (Lawrence, Mass./Lawrence ) was placed on first to pinch run for Gleason who had singled through the right side, Gelardi drove the ball the deep center field. The hit brought Francisco all the way around to home and Gelardi collected the triple.

In the bottom of the inning, the Owls returned the favor with a single from Stacy Pouliot that brought in Alyssa Downs, younger sister of UNH’s Nicole Downs.

With the score 3-2 heading into the final inning, Cruz capped the game off for the Charger offense with a solo homer over the left field fence.

The seventh inning rally fell just short, as the Owls managed to tally two hits, but the Chargers held for the win.

From the mound, Gleason struck out nine, while scattering eight hits and walking one, collecting her 36th win of the season.

One of 16 teams left in the NCAA tournament, New Haven will host the No. 6 Molloy Lions in the NCAA Div. II East Super Regional May 21-22 at the UNH Softball Field. Check back to NewHavenChargers.com for more information later this week.