BOX SCORE MANCHESTER, N.H. – In the program’s first-ever Northeast-10 Conference Championship game, the University of New Haven softball team fell 4-3 to Adelphi University Saturday afternoon at Penmen Field on the campus of Southern New Hampshire University.

New Haven fell behind 4-0 early, but battled back to cut the lead to one in the top of the seventh inning.

The Chargers dropped to 36-13 on the season with the loss. The Panthers improved to 38-17 on the season.

New Haven’s Christina Gelardi (Derby, Conn./Derby) led off the game earning a base on balls, but the Chargers would strand the senior on third base with three-straight outs. Adelphi took to the plate and four runners crossed to give the Panthers an early lead. AU used three hits and one error to take the early advantage.

For the next four innings, the pitchers took over and neither team registered a run. New Haven left four runners on base and hit into a double plays during the stretch.

After entering the game in relief in the second, Micah Stonesifer (Archer City, Texas/Archer City / Vernon College) threw the scoreless four innings with two strikeouts and three hits.

With one out in the top of the sixth, Jess Spivey (Holland, Pa./Council Rock) took first after being hit by a pitch. Meghan Chamoff (Roslyn Heights, N.Y./Herricks) pinch ran and two batters later, Lucy Francisco (Lawrence, Mass./Lawrence ) hit a two-out RBI single up the middle to score New Haven’s first run of the afternoon.

Adelphi nearly added runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Stonesifer worked out of trouble and the game went into the final inning.

Lead off batter, Brooke Fisher (Erial, N.J./Camden Catholic) reached on a dropped fly ball and started the Chargers rally in Manchester. Two batters later, Gelardi brought UNH within one run with a homerun over the left center fence. Brandy Dianno (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) then laid down a bunt and put the Chargers' tying run on base. UNH would have one more runner reach after being hit by a pitch, but the Panthers sealed the victory with two straight outs.

Stonesifer went five full innings with two strikeouts, four hits and no runs for UNH.

Gelardi went 1-for-1 with two RBI and one run to lead the Charger bats. Dianno, Spivey, Tricinelli and Lucy Francisco (Lawrence, Mass./Lawrence ) each added one hit in the game.

New Haven, recently ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Division II East Region Rankings, now waits for the selection show, which will air Monday morning at 10:30 a.m. at NCAA.com. The Chargers, likely to receive an at-large bid, are hoping to advance to their fifth NCAA tournament in the last six years.