TUCSON, Ariz. – Kristine Liptack (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) and Victoria Cabral (New Britain, Conn./Miss Porter's School / Hofstra) each hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, but the University of New Haven softball team fell in their first game of bracket play at the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic to No. 23 California Baptist, 12-6 on Saturday evening.

With the win the Lancers improve to 4-1 while New Haven drops to 0-4.

After CBU scored a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run homer by Krista Mann, New Haven came back in the bottom of the first when Liptack drove home Gabby DeLeo (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Hubert Catholic) who singled two batters earlier. After the Lancers plated another run in the bottom of the second, the Chargers sliced the lead again. DeLeo led off with a single and advanced on a throwing error. Two batters later, Liptack came through again, singling home DeLeo to cut the Cal Baptist lead to 3-2.

Walks conspired against New Haven in the third as the Lancers plated three more runs to take a 6-2 lead. After neither team scored in the fourth, the Chargers broke out the bats in the fifth. With Marissa Colby (Carlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill) on first and one out, Liptack stood in and drove her first collegiate home run over the wall in left-centerfield to cut the lead to 6-4. Two batters later Tori Schiebe (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) walked bringing up Cabral who took the second pitch she saw from Jenna Lieber over the centerfield wall to tie the game at 6-6.

Unfortunately, the Lancers had the final say, scoring three runs each in the fifth and sixth innings to cement the final score.

New Haven is next scheduled to play on March 10 when it takes on Dowling in a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader at the UNH Softball Field.