ALBANY, N.Y. – Playing under the lights for the first time in over three years, the University of New Haven softball team split a Northeast-10 Southwest Division doubleheader with the Saint Rose Golden Knights at Cathy Haker Field at Plumeri Sports Complex. The Chargers victory came in the fashion of a 12-0 shutout behind an impressive 10 strikeout performance from sophomore Kylie Stonebraker (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis High School). That victory came after dropping the opening game 14-6.
Combined in the doubleheader, the Chargers were led at the plate by junior Taylor Luzzi (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) who combined to hit .714 with five hits in seven at bats, including a double. Hitting in the leadoff position, Luzzi reached base safely six times, including smacking a double with one of her five hits, while she also drove in one run. Overall, she was one of four players to finish with a combined two-plus hits, followed by freshman Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph's) who finished with four hits in six at bats for a .667 average. Among Hillman's six hits were a pair for extra bases, a double and her team-leading fifth home run of the season. Overall, the rookie drove in three runs.
Hillman was one of three players who knocked a hit out of the park against the Golden Knights, joined by senior Erin Stever (Parish, N.Y./Altmar Parish Williamstown) and junior Vanessa Strohm (Lititz, Pa./Warwick). Overall, Stever finished with a pair of hits in four at bats with a team-best five RBI. Three of those RBI came on her yard-ball, while Strohm also drove in three runs on her home run, while the yard-ball for both was their first of the season. Rounding out the leaders at the plate was senior Tori Schiebe (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) who combined for three hits in six at bats, while driving in two runs.
Stonebraker's fifth victory, and second-straight, came in impressive fashion as she surrendered just one hit and walked one batter while matching her career-high in strikeouts which she originally accomplished last season against Pace. Suffering the loss in the opening game was sophomore Megan Butts (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) who gave up 14 runs, 10 of which were earned, on 15 hits while walking four batters.
GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
New Haven was forced to work from behind early in game one after a five-run first inning for the Golden Knights put the home team in front. The Chargers quickly cut into that deficit, scoring three runs in the next half inning, including one which came on an RBI from Hillman, while the other two both scored on wild pitches.
The Golden Knights answered right back in the bottom of the second taking one of those runs back, before putting the game out of reach with five more runs in the bottom of the third. The Chargers did manage to plate three more runs in the top of the fourth inning, cutting the deficit to 11-6. All three runs in that inning came off one swing of the bat as Strohm drilled her first home run of the season, driving in Stever and Luzzi.
Overall for the game, Strohm's three run RBI led the Chargers at the plate while Luzzi and Hillman each finished with a pair of hits, including each legging out a double in one of their two base knocks. All combined, the Chargers finished with six total hits with Schiebe and Alexa Hersheberger adding one hit apiece, including a double for Schiebe.
GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
In the nightcap, neither team would muster a hit until the third inning when the Chargers sent 12 batters to the plate, opening up the scoring with seven runs in the frame. When all was said and done, the Chargers finished with six total hits in the inning, while the rally all began when Strohm reached safely on an error. Centerfielder Sierra Whitlock (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) would record the first RBI of the inning when she drove in Strohm, while Schiebe and Kristine Liptack (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) each drove in one run. The biggest hit in the inning came as the team-leading fifth home run of the season for Hillman as she drove in Schiebe for the two run blast, while Stever also drove in two runs in the inning, doing so on a two-out single that brought in designated hitter Katrina Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) and left fielder Catherine Vaughn.
The only hit allowed by Stonebraker in game two came in the bottom of the third inning, a leadoff single, however the sophomore stranded that runner at first, recording all three outs in the inning by way of a strikeout. Overall, Stonebraker stranded three total runners on base in the five-inning game.
New Haven put the game out of reach of the Golden Knights when they added five more runs in the fifth inning, this time sending 10 batters to the plate. The biggest hit of the frame came when Stever sailed her first home run of the season which plated three runs, while Schiebe and Liptack each recorded an RBI in the inning. Overall, the Chargers finished with five hits in the inning.
UP NEXT
The Chargers close out the three-game series against the Golden Knights on Saturday with first pitch against the divisional rival scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
