MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The University of New Haven softball team continued action at the Snowbird Freeze Out in South Carolina on Saturday, splitting a double-header against the Georgian Court University Lions and Molloy College Lions at the Ned Donkle Field Complex. New Haven dropped a tough contest to Georgian Court in game one, 6-5, and bounced back for a 6-1 win over No. 17 Molloy in game two. On the season, New Haven is now 2-0 against nationally ranked opponents.
 
Junior Taylor Luzzi (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) hit .625 on the day, going 5-for-8 at the plate with two doubles and an RBI. Senior Kristine Liptack (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) drove in a team-high four runs on four hits with one double and one home run in game one. Junior Sierra Whitlock (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) and freshman Alexa Hershberger (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) each tallied three hits with Whitlock scoring three runs and Hershberger crossing the plate twice.
 
GAME ONE: Georgian Court 6, New Haven 5
 
New Haven had to get around the batting order once before heating up, as each team was scoreless through the first two and a half innings. Whitlock got her second appearance at the plate to lead off the bottom of the third, singling to left field and stealing second base. After Hershberger successfully sacrificed herself to advance Whitlock, freshman Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph's) homered to left field, her third home run in as many games as New Haven got on the board, 2-0. Georgian Court nearly halved the score in the top of the fourth when Caitlyn Hughes tripled to center field, but sophomore Kylie Stonebraker (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis High School) shut down the next three batters without letting Hughes score.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, New Haven got one more run off of a solo shot from senior Tori Schiebe (Monroe, Conn./Masuk), landing the long ball over the center field fence. Back on the field, errors got the best of the Chargers, committing two in the inning. After the Lions loaded the bases, two singles scored four runs as Georgian Court took a 4-3 lead over New Haven. Two innings later, Liptack connected on a pitch, blasting a home run to left field to even out the score, 4-4.
 
With two outs in the top of the seventh, Georgian Court's Samantha Reilly stepped up to the plate, responding with her second home run in as many days to provide the Lions with a slim 5-4 advantage, and later in the inning added an insurance run on a wild pitch before Hershberger caught a Lion baserunner stealing to get out of the jam.
 
As if the game wasn't dramatic already, Hershberger, Luzzi, and junior Vanessa Strohm (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) each hit a single to load the bases with one out. Liptack drew a walk to score Hershberger, forcing a late Georgian Court pitching change. Georgian Court then retired the next two Chargers who left three runners on base as Georgian Court escaped with the 6-5 win.
 
For New Haven, Stonebraker suffered the loss in the circle, tossing 6.2 innings while striking out three batters. Marissa Trezza got the win for Georgian Court, only pitching 0.1 innings in the circle before Jessica O'Neil came in and pitched 0.2 innings to get the save.
 
GAME TWO: New Haven 6, No. 17 Molloy, 1
 
New Haven never trailed in game two with a powerful offense that scattered 12 hits against the Lions. The Chargers first got things started on a first and third situation with two outs in the top of the second. Strohm singled up the middle, plating Liptack to get a 1-0 lead over the Lions. After a scoreless bottom of the second for Molloy, New Haven added another run when Luzzi hit a long double to left center field and was singled home by Liptack.
 
Molloy got its only run in the bottom of the fourth with a sacrifice fly before New Haven caused havoc in the top of the fifth, scoring three more runs in the half-inning. Whitlock and Hershberger got on base to begin the inning before Luzzi bunted and was safe, scoring Whitlock to improve the score, 3-1. New Haven scored two more runs in the inning for some added support, and an additional run in the top of the sixth as Luzzi singled home Whitlock.
 
Sophomore Megan Butts (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) improved her record to 2-0 on the season, tossing her second-straight complete game with four strikeouts. Jenna Turato suffered the loss for the Lions, falling to 2-1 on the season with 3.0 innings pitched.   
 
UP NEXT:
 
New Haven closes out play in Myrtle Beach tomorrow morning, Sun. Feb. 18 for a game against Slippery Rock. First pitch at the Grand Park Sports Complex is slated for 10:00 am.