WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven softball team split its Northeast-10 Conference divisional doubleheader against the visiting Le Moyne Dolphins on Sunday afternoon, falling in the opening game 9-7 in nine innings and winning the second game by a 2-0 margin. Following the day, the Charges stand at 16-6 overall in 2016 and own a 7-3 record in Southwest divisional play.
Among the leaders at the plate was sophomore Kristine Liptack (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) who as part of a three-hit day drilled her second home run of the season over the left field fence in the opening game, pushing three runs across the plate. Combined for the day, Liptack finished 3-of-8.
Freshman third baseman Taylor Luzzi (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) joined in leading the Chargers as she finished with four hits and drove in three runs. Luzzi finished the opening game with an RBI and a run scored while going 3-of-5 at the plate. She then finished the second game going 1-of-2 with two RBI, one of which came on a sacrifice fly.
In the circle, senior Victoria Cabral (New Britain, Conn./Miss Porter's School / Hofstra) earned the complete game victory in game two, allowing just one hit and walking one batter. She also struck out six. Cabral would also start game one, allowing seven of the nine runs, six of them earned, on eight hits and a pair of walks. She also struck out five in the opening game. Classmate Nicole King (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) suffered the loss in the opening game, giving up a pair of unearned runs on two hits and a walk in 3.2 innings of work.
The Chargers are scheduled to return to the diamond on Tuesday afternoon with a doubleheader against divisional rival Pace on the docket. First pitch at Pace Softball Field is slated for 3:00 p.m.
GAME ONE RECAP
New Haven finished with 12 hits in their third extra inning affair of the season. Leading the way at the plate was Luzzi and senior Jen Palase (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) who each finished 3-of-5. Both players would also drive in one run, while Palase crossed the plate to score twice and Luzzi once.
Joining Luzzi and Palase with a multi-hit outing was catcher Marissa Colby (Carlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill), first baseman Kristine Liptack (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) and second baseman Gabby DeLeo (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Hubert Catholic) as all 12 of the Chargers hits came from five total players. Of that trio, Liptack led the way driving in three runs on her second long ball of the season, drilling a pitch over the left field fence with no outs in the third, giving the Blue and Gold a 4-1 lead at the time.
DeLeo also pushed a couple of runs across the plate as her two hits came in four at bats with both RBI came in the fifth inning as she drove in two runs on a single to right center, providing the Chargers with a 7-3 advantage.
New Haven pushed its first run of the game across the plate in the bottom of the first inning with Luzzi recording her first RBI of the afternoon. With runners on the corners and one out in the frame, Luzzi single to right field, easy allowing Palase to score from third after originally beating out an infield single to lead off the inning.
After a scoreless second inning on both sides, Liptack would break what was a 1-1 draw in the third inning when she followed singles from Palase and Colby with the Chargers only extra base hit in the opening game, a three-run home run to left.
Despite giving up single runs in the fourth and fifth inning, the Chargers maintained their advantage with a matching run in the fourth and two more in the fifth inning. In the fourth inning, Palase would record the RBI as she drove in DeLeo on a single to center field with two outs.
In the fifth inning, DeLeo would drive in both runs as she took advantage of a passed balls that allowed Schiebe and Luzzi into scoring position with a single to right that pushed both runs across the plate. Le Moyne would then answer by tying the game in the top of the sixth inning before scoring two runs in the ninth to secure the victory.
GAME TWO RECAP
New Haven again got on the board early in game two when Luzzi sacrificed herself on a fly ball to center that allowed Colby to score from third. Colby originally single to reach, before taking two bases on a single from Liptack that left runners at the corners.
Luzzi came through again in the third inning when she stepped into the batter's box with runners on second and third with one out. She would beat out an infield single to shortstop that allowed Palase to score after leading off the inning with a single to left. Palase would advance to second thanks to a single from Colby before both runners wound up in scoring position on an infield groundout by Liptack.
In the circle, Cabral kept the shutout intact, not allowing a Le Moyne hit until the sixth inning. Prior to that, Cabral had posted a pair of three-up, three-down innings, including recording back-to-back looking strikeouts to end the second. At the plate, the Chargers bats did not strikeout once against the Dolphins Alexis Eastman.
Overall, New Haven finished with eight hits compared to the one for the Dolphins. All eight of the Chargers hits went for singles with Colby and DeLeo the only to finish with a multi-hit outing.
