NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - The University of New Haven softball team split a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader against Southern New Hampshire Sunday afternoon played on the campus of Central Connecticut State. The Penmen won the opener in six innings, 9-0. The Chargers rebounded in the second game with a 5-4 victory.

New Haven moved to 3-5 overall and 1-1 in the Northeast-10 Conference. SNHU moved to 11-3 overall and 1-1 in the NE-10.

In the two games, Julie Devlin (Baldwin, N.Y./Northwood School) led the Chargers with three hits in four at-bats with two runs scored. Tori Schiebe (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) combined for two hits, two RBI and two runs on the afternoon. In the circle, Victoria Cabral (New Britain, Conn./Miss Porter's School / Hofstra) anchored New Haven's staff with a complete game five-hitter in the second game. She gave up just one earned run and struck out one as well.

Game One
The Chargers and Penmen played scoreless through the first four innings as both teams left runners on base, including eight runners left on base by the visitors. In the top of the fifth, SNHU opened scoring with a solo homerun to left center by Katie Caruso. UNH was retired in order in the bottom of the fifth before the Penmen sealed the win in the top of the sixth. SNHU put eight runs on the board off a hit and an error.

With three outs in the first three batters in the bottom of the sixth, the Chargers dropped their NE-10 opener.

Game Two
After defense stranded three Penmen on base in the top of the first inning of game two, the Blue and Gold took a quick lead in the bottom half. Gabby DeLeo (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Hubert Catholic) hit a solo shot over the fence in left center to put the Chargers ahead. An inning later, Schiebe improved the UNH lead with another homerun to right center. She drove in Devlin who reached on a double to lead off the second for the Chargers who took a 3-0 lead.

SNHU put its first runs on the board in the top of the third with three runs off two hits and two UNH errors. The game was tied at 3-3 until the fifth inning.

The Chargers strung together four singles in the fifth as Gilly Childs (Los Angeles, Calif./Notre Dame Academy) and Jen Palase (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) both recorded RBI in the inning. Palase's RBI single with two outs would prove to be the difference maker as Schiebe scored the team's fifth run on the play. In the top of the sixth, the Penmen added one with a walk and a triple to cut the lead to 5-4. 

New Haven was retired in the bottom of the sixth before the Penmen looked to make a comeback in the top of the seventh. SNHU earned a pair of base runners with a two-out walk and hit by pitch, but an eventual ground out to shortstop gave the Chargers their third win in the last three days.

To go along with a perfect 2-for-2 and two runs score by Devlin, Schiebe went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Palase went 2-for-4 with a RBI, while all-but two batters recorded a hit for UNH in the win.

New Haven will return to action on Monday, March 16 when it travels to Dowling in a non-conference doubleheader. Game time in Oakdale, N.Y. is set for 2:30 p.m.