WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Following a damp rainy morning, the University of New Haven softball team returned to the diamond on Tuesday, splitting a doubleheader against crosstown rival Southern Connecticut State University at the New Haven Softball Field. After dropping the early game by a 3-0 margin in extra innings, the Chargers rebounded to pick up a 2-1 victory in game two.
Leading the Blue and Gold on the day was senior Tori Schiebe (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) who combined for three total hits, finishing with a pair in the opening game and one more in the nightcap. Schiebe was one of three players to combine for a multi-hit day with juniors Sierra Whitlock (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) and Taylor Luzzi (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) each finishing with two hits, one in each game.
Junior Madison Derosia (Brattleboro, Vt./Brattleboro Union) secured the only RBI of the day for New Haven, that coming on a two-out double in the second inning of game two as she knocked in the game-winning run. Overall, the Chargers combined for 11 total hits on the day, those coming from seven different players.
In the circle, sophomore Kylie Stonebraker (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis High School) earned the victory for New Haven. Her, and classmate Megan Butts (West Chester, Pa./Henderson), each went the distance for the Blue and Gold with Stonebraker allowed one earned run on four hits in seven inning of work, while Butts surrendered three unearned runs in eight innings of work. Combined, the pair struck out 13 total batters, led by Butts who retired seven by way of a strikeout.
GAME 1: Southern Connecticut 3, New Haven 0
New Haven would end up stranding 11 runners on in the opening game, as neither team was able to muster a run through the first seven innings, forcing the extra frame. The Chargers threatened right out of the gates when Whitlock led off the bottom of the first inning reaching courtesy of an error at shortstop, which allowed her to advance to second. After taking third on an infield groundout, she was left stranded just 60 feet away on a third groundout to short in the inning.
Another error on the Owls in the third allowed New Haven runners on the corners with two outs before yet another infield groundout ended the threat. In the fifth inning, the Chargers would again find themselves in good shape with runners on the corners with two outs, however a strikeout ended things this time around.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Blue and Gold were in great shape for a walk-off victory after Whitlock reached safely with her first hit of the day, legging out a single to short. After stealing second, she advanced to third on a fly ball to centerfield, but was unable to score as the Owls centerfielder tracked down a hard hit ball that looked to be over her head, but she hauled in at the warning track to force extra innings.
The Owls would then rally with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. After back-to-back groundouts to short, the next four batters reached safely, the first on a single to right. The next two each reached on New Haven errors, the first at third base and the second on a long fly ball to right that allowed the first two runs to score, before a double to center led to an insurance run.
GAME 2: New Haven 2, Southern Connecticut 1
The Owls continued their scoring in the very beginning of game two, making a leadoff walk payoff thanks to a single to left that provided an early 1-0 lead. However, New Haven didn't waste time, evening the score in the bottom of the first inning thanks in part to a leadoff single from Whitlock. The senior centerfielder legged out the infield base knock and after stealing third, scored on an error by the Owls third baseman that should have been the second out of the inning.
New Haven then added the game-winning run in the second inning, utilizing two hits and a free pass issued when Erin Stever (Parish, N.Y./Altmar Parish Williamstown) was hit by a pitch. Stever eventually scored that run after advancing to second during Derosia's at bat. That allowed the Chargers third baseman to score from 120 feet away when Derosia's double rolled to the fence in left center for the junior's eighth RBI of the season.
The Owls were in perfect shape to at the very least tie the game in the top of third inning with a leadoff double followed by a bunt single that had runners at the corners with one out. The next batter, Sara Buscetto lifted a high fly into right field that should have been a sacrifice for the third baseman, but the Chargers right fielder Schiebe fired a bullet from right to the plate beating the runner by three steps. During that throw, the runner at first attempted to advance, but the catcher Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph's) took notice and after the tag at home fired over the circle to second base erasing that runner and completing the first triple play of the season for the Blue and Gold.
Both pitchers would settle in after that with just two Chargers and three Owls reaching base safely over the final three innings, none of which advanced past second. Stonebraker, who finished with six strikeouts in her seven inning of work, forced a pair of foul fly ball outs to start out the seventh before getting the pinch hitter Emily Borysewic to swing and miss for the final out.
UP NEXT
The Chargers will play their next three games away from West Haven, beginning with a single game on the road on Thursday afternoon in Old Westbury, N.Y. against the NYIT Bears. First pitch from the NYIT Softball Complex is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
