WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven softball team split its Northeast-10 Conference divisional doubleheader against the visiting Adelphi Panthers on Wednesday afternoon scoring a 6-2 victory in the opening game and dropping a 10-5 decision in a light-shortened nightcap. Following today's split, the Chargers are 17-9 overall and 9-7 in Northeast-10 action.
Leading the Blue and Gold at the plate was senior outfielder Jen Palase (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) and freshman third baseman Taylor Luzzi (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) who each finished a combined 4-of-8. With at least one hit in each of the games, Luzzi extended her current hit streak to 13 straight games, while she has now hit safely in all but four of the 26 games she has played. Palase finished with a pair of hits in each game, while scoring twice in the opener and Luzzi saw her best hitting of the afternoon come in the nightcap where she finished 3-for-4 with a run scored.
Also finishing with a multi-hit outing on the day was junior infielders Gabby DeLeo (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Hubert Catholic) and Julie Devlin (Baldwin, N.Y./Northwood School) as well as freshman outfielder Sierra Whitlock (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge). The rookie posted a 2-of-3 effort in the opening game while also driving in one and scoring a run. Both DeLeo and Devlin finished 2-of-3 in the nightcap with DeLeo driving in a pair of runs to lead the Chargers in that column for the day.
In the circle, senior Nicole King (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) earned the victory in game one, pitching a complete game for her fifth win of the season. Overall, the hurler allowed two runs, both earned, on four hits and six walks. She also struck out seven, her second straight game with seven punch outs and her 11th game of the season with six or more strikeouts.
In game two, senior Victoria Cabral (New Britain, Conn./Miss Porter's School / Hofstra) suffered the loss, giving up seven runs, all earned, on six hits and a walk in two-plus innings of work. She also struck out four strikeouts. Alyssa Monteverde (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) and Heather Ferranti (Orange, Conn./Amity) also made appearances in the circle for New Haven, with Ferranti pitching three innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits and two walks, while also striking out one.
The Chargers return to the diamond on Friday when they travel to Georgian Court for the first of back-to-back non-conference doubleheaders. The twin bill at the GCU Softball Field is slated for an 11:00 a.m. first pitch.
GAME ONE RECAP
As a team, the Chargers combined to outhit Adelphi 7-4 in the opening game with Palase and Whitlock each finishing with a pair of hits. Two of New Haven's seven hits went for extra bases with Liptack hitting her fourth double of the season and Whitlock wheeling out a triple that also drove in the Chargers fifth run of the day.
The Blue and Gold got on the board early with a pair of first inning runs, never looking back from that early advantage. The Chargers first run of the day came courtesy of a passed ball charged to the Panthers catcher, while Liptack would drive in the second run on an infield groundout that allowed Marissa Colby (Carlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill) to score after reaching by virtue of a walk.
After Adelphi cut the lead in half with a single run in the third, the Chargers pushed their lead to three, scoring a pair of runs in the fifth, before adding two more in the sixth to put the game out of reach. In the fifth, the first two Charger batters reached safely as Whitlock beat out an infield single and Palase followed with a single to center. After both advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch, Whitlock was able to score courtesy of a sacrifice off the bat of Colby. Palase was then able to score on the next at bat as Luzzi reached safely on a fielding error.
The final two Charger runs in the sixth came on the same play. After a leadoff infield single by Devlin, Whitlock muscled her second triple of the year, easily allowing Devlin to score. Whitlock would then take advantage of a throwing error by the left fielder to push the Chargers lead to 6-1.
GAME TWO RECAP
The Blue and Gold again outhit the visiting Panthers, finishing with a 12-10 advantage in the nightcap. Leading the Chargers at the plate was Luzzi who finished 3-of-4 while also scoring a run. DeLeo and Devlin would join her with a multi-hit afternoon with DeLeo also driving in a pair.
Adelphi scored early, taking a 7-0 advantage through three innings, including plating five runs in the third. The Chargers answered that deficit by scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the third with both of those tallies thanks to one swing of the bat from DeLeo. That hit, a double to right center allowed Victoria Cabral (New Britain, Conn./Miss Porter's School / Hofstra) and Luzzi to score.
The Panthers would respond by scoring three more runs to push their lead to 10-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth. New Haven wasn't going to go away easily as they scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth, however the game would be halted at that point due to darkness with the Panthers earning the victory.
With one out in the fifth, DeLeo began the charger rally with a single to center, followed sharply by a double off the wall in left field coming off the bat of Devlin. That two-bagger is the team-leading eight of the season for the junior shortstop.
Entering as a pinch hitter, senior Nicole D'Andrea (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) drove in the first run of the frame on a single up the middle that allowed DeLeo to score easily and Devlin to take third. After the second out of the inning was recorded, the Chargers took advantage of a pair of Panther miscues, the first of which a wild pitch that allowed Devlin to score. That was followed by Colby reaching on a fielding error at short that allowed Whitlock to score from third.
New Haven next returns to the diamond for a non-conference doubleheader on Friday morning at Georgian Court University, where they are set to take on the Lions beginning at 11:00 AM. On Sunday, the Chargers will then welcome Caldwell University to the UNH Softball Field, with first pitch in the opening game slated for 12:00 p.m.
