BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 MANCHESTER, N.H. - The University of New Haven softball team came away with a split against Southern New Hampshire, moving to 18-6 overall and 10-4 in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Chargers dropped game one, 9-4, but bounced back to win the nightcap, 5-2. The Penmen move to 15-5 overall and 4-1 in the conference after the cross-divisional doubleheader. 
 
Game 1
New Haven struck early in the first inning as leadoff hitter Jess Spivey (Holland, Pa./Council Rock) and Lindsey Couturier (Dighton, Mass./Dighton Rehoboth Regional) both walked. Brooke Fisher (Erial, N.J./Camden Catholic) drilled a 1-1 pitch for a double into left center, scoring Spivey and giving UNH a 1-0 lead.
 
The Blue and Gold padded their lead in the third as Spivey was hit by a pitch and Couturier doubled to left center. Fisher again hammered a 1-1 pitch, this time over the left field fence, to increase the lead to 4-0.
 
However, the Chargers bats went silent as the Penmen's heated up.
 
SNHU cut into the lead in their half of the third, plating two runs off staring pitcher Nicole King (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) and another five runs in the fifth to take a 7-4 lead. They would add two insurance runs in the sixth inning.
 
King (10-3) suffered the loss, tossing six innings, allowing nine runs on f11 hits and three walks with five strikeout.
 
Fisher finished 2-4 at the dish, driving in all four of the Charger runs.
 
Game 2
SNHU tallied a run the bottom of the first inning off of Cabral to take the lead 1-0.
 
New Haven's offense was held in check until the third inning.  Spivey was plunked and Brandy Dianno (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) singled on a bunt. Couturier then belted her league-leading seventh roundtripper to put UNH ahead 3-1.
                              
UNH added two insurance runs in the top half of the seventh. Dianno beat out an infield single and Couturier walked. Fisher ripped a single up the middle, scoring Dianno from second. Julie Devlin (Baldwin, N.Y./Northwood School) laid down a bunt, scoring pinch runner Erika Williams (Oneida, N.Y./Oneida) from third.
 
The Penman looked to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, but only were able to plate one run, leaving two on.
 
Cabral (8-3) turned in a solid outing, yielding two runs and scattering six hits, while striking out seven and walking seven.
 
The Chargers we led offensively by Couturier's three-run homer. Dianno went 2-2 at the plate with two runs scored.

The Chargers have a quick turnaround as they remain in Manchester, N.H. on Sunday, April 6 to battle Franklin Pierce in a NE-10 cross-divisional doubleheader. First pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. The Blue and Gold will then return home for an eight-game homestand, which kicks off Tuesday, April 8 against Pace University at 4 P.M.