BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 WEST HAVEN, Conn. - Junior infielder Lindsey Couturier (Dighton, Mass./Dighton Rehoboth Regional) drove in a total of four runs, including a pair of game winning runs, as the University of New Haven softball team opened its home schedule with a sweep of Dowling College. The Chargers took game one 5-4 and the nightcap 6-2 at the UNH Softball Field.

New Haven improved to 5-3 on the season, while the Golden Lions dropped to 7-3.

Game One
In the bottom of the first inning, Lucy Francisco (Lawrence, Mass./Lawrence ) hit a solo homerun over the fence in left center as the Chargers jumped out to an early lead. Couturier added another with a RBI double to left center in the same inning. The Chargers opened a 3-0 lead with a Christina Gelardi (Derby, Conn./Derby) RBI single in the bottom of the third inning.

The Golden Lions were held scoreless until the top of the fifth inning when they strung together three hits and one UNH error for four runs. Dowling's Stephanie Tarango hit a bases-loaded homerun over the left field fence to put Dowling ahead 4-3.

New Haven responded in the bottom of the sixth inning. Francisco drove the game-tying run with a RBI double to center, while Couturier singled to center field for the eventual game-winning run.

Freshman Nicole King (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) pitched the final two innings in relief for UNH and earned her second win of the season. She fanned three and allowed just one hit. Brittany Scott (Buena, N.J./Buena Regional) started and threw four 2/3 innings, allowed no earned runs and striking out four. Micah Stonesifer (Archer City, Texas/Archer City / Vernon College) also made an appearance on the rubber, grabbing one out for UNH.

Francisco led the UNH bats with three hits, two RBI and two runs. Keri Tricinelli (Brick, N.J./Monsignor Donovan), Gelardi and Couturier each added two hits apeice.

Game Two
New Haven went ahead first in the second game of the afternoon as well. Gelardi hit a solo homerun over the fence in dead center to put UNH ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the second.

Dowling would answer in the top of the fourth inning with a pair of runs. The Golden Lions scored two runs off three hits, including a solo homerun with one out. The Charger bats added one in the bottom of the fourth as Brooke Fisher (Erial, N.J./Camden Catholic) drove in Sadie Redman (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) with a long double to center field.

The scoreboard then went quiet until the bottom of the fifth inning when UNH strung together three hits for four runs. Couturier singled to center field with two out and runners in scoring position to put the Chargers ahead for good. Courtney Reed (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) drove in a pair of insurance runs later in the inning with a double to left center.

Dowling's offense managed two runners in the sixth, but the side was retired in the top of the seventh and New Haven won its fourth straight game.

King earned her second win of the day in relief. She pitched three 1/3 innings of shutout softball, while stirking out three and walking one. Stonesifer started the game on the rubber and went three 2/3 innings with two runs and two strikeouts.

At the plate, Gelardi went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI, while Tricinelli, Couturier, Fisher and Reed also recorded hits in game two.

New Haven will return to action at Dominican in a rescheduled game on Tuesday, March 12. The doubleheader will start at 2:30 p.m. in Orangeburg, N.Y.