OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – Junior shortstop Taylor Luzzi (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) scattered a team-high seven hits, including a 4-for-4 effort in game two as the University of New Haven softball team (16-17) took both ends of a non-conference doubleheader over the NYIT Bears on Thursday afternoon. Luzzi closed out the opening game with a team-high two RBI as the Chargers scored an 11-3 victory in six innings, while her perfect performance at the plate in game two helped lead to a 7-4 triumph.

Luzzi was one of six players who combined for three or more hits on the afternoon doubleheaders, while overall she drove in three runs. Freshman Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph's) continued her powerful rookie performance with a team-best six RBI on the day, including three which came on her team-leading eighth home run of the season. Overall, Hillman finished with three hits.

Third baseman Erin Stever (Parish, N.Y./Altmar Parish Williamstown) and centerfielder Sierra Whitlock (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) each followed Luzzi in leading the Chargers with four hits apiece. Stever scattered her four hits evenly across the two games, while three of Whitlock's came in the opening game when the Chargers combined for 15 total hits. Overall in the opening game, all but one of the Chargers batters finished with at least one hit, led by Luzzi and Whitlock who each finished with three.

Also among the leaders at the plate was senior first baseman Kristine Liptack (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) who finished with three hits in five at bats while knocking in a pair of runs. Among her three hits was the only other long ball for New Haven as she opened up the second game of the day with her second home run of the season, sailing this one over the left field fence to drive in two runs.

In the circle, each of the Blue and Gold's two sophomore pitchers earned the victory, both earning their eighth win of the season. Combined, the pair struck out nine total batters with Megan Butts (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) leading the duo with five. Overall, Butts allowed three runs on five hits, while her classmate Kylie Stonebraker (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis High School) surrendered four runs on six hits.

GAME 1: New Haven 11, NYIT 3

The Chargers didn't waste much time getting on the board in game one, putting two runs up in the top of the first inning. After a groundout opened the game, Luzzi tripled to left center for the Chargers first hit of the afternoon. She would score on the same play courtesy of a throwing error charged to the second baseman. That brought Colby to the plate with no outs and she became the next runner earning a walk. Following that free pass was back-to-back singles from Liptack and Hillman, the latter of which earned an RBI for the freshman as she drove in Colby.

The Bears answered right back in their half of the first, knotting the score at two and providing the fresh start for both squads before adding a single run in the bottom of the second to take their first lead, 3-2. The Blue and Gold then erased that deficit three-run, two-out rally in the top of the third to take a 5-3 advantage. With Liptack on second after a walk and passed ball, right fielder Tori Schiebe (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) began the two-out rally with a single to right center that drove in Liptack. Stever and left fielder Alexandria Cunkle (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) followed that by hitting the warning track with back-to-back doubles, each driving in one run.

New Haven tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning following a pitching change for the Bears. Yet again all three runs would come with two outs in the inning. Luzzi began the rally with a one-out double down the left field line. She and Colby, who walked, would be the first two runs in the frame when they were knocked home by Hillman who drilled a single up the middle. Hillman would then score the third run of the inning courtesy of an error charged to the second baseman on a play that began with a single back to the pitcher from Cunkle.

Yet another two-out rally for the Chargers would provide the final three runs New Haven would need to put the game away in the sixth inning. Stever would kick off the rally working a free pass before advancing to third on the fourth double of the day for the Blue and Gold, this one from the second baseman Madison Derosia (Brattleboro, Vt./Brattleboro Union) which left both in scoring position for Whitlock. The junior centerfielder laid down her third hit of the day, a single to left that scored Stever and left runners on the corners. After Whitlock stole second, Luzzi came through yet again with a single up the middle, driving in both runners for the final 11-3 margin.

Overall for the game, New Haven bats never settled down, finishing with 15 total hits while in the circle, Butts allowed five hits and held the Bears scoreless over the final four innings. Leading the Chargers at the plate was Whitlock and Luzzi who each finished 3-for-5 with Luzzi finishing the early game a home run shy of the cycle. Butts closed out her complete game with five strikeouts, earning her eight victory of the season.

GAME 2: New Haven, NYIT

Yet again in game two, the Chargers didn't waste any time putting their first runs on the board, scoring two with two outs in the inning. Luzzi began the early rally with an infield single which was quickly followed by a Liptack who drilled her second home run of the season over the left field fence for the 2-0 lead.

Those two early runs for New Haven were the only for either team until the bottom of the third inning when NYIT put their first run on the board, taking advantage of a leadoff walk. Defensively in the first two innings, the Chargers would strand a pair of NYIT runners on base, with Stonebraker not allowing either to advance past second. She also picked up her first two strikeouts, one in each inning.

After a scoreless top and bottom of the fourth, the Chargers tacked one more run on in the fifth as three of the first four New Haven batters to the plate all singled, with Luzzi's single to center driving the lone run in as her base knock allowed Whitlock to score after she singled through the left side.

NYIT wasn't going to go down easily, manufacturing three runs in their half of the fifth inning to take a slim 4-3 advantage. The Chargers defense did come up big in the fifth inning to limit the Bears to just three runs, erasing an  advancing runner at home that was trying to score from first on a double to left.

Both teams would again finish scoreless in the sixth inning before the Chargers bats stepped up in the top of the seventh to erase the deficit and take a three-run lead. The first run of the inning came courtesy of an error against the Bears, while the game-winning and two additional insurance runs came courtesy of Hillman who fired her team-leading eight home run to left field driving in Luzzi and Liptack.

Yet again, NYIT wasn't going out without a fight with three-straight Bears reaching safely to load the bases with one out. Stonebraker responded by striking out the next batter and forcing a groundout to third to end the threat and the game, securing the doubleheader sweep.

UP NEXT
The Chargers will be in action just once this weekend when they host a second-straight non-NE10 doubleheader against the Caldwell Cougars. First pitch in the opening game is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at the New Haven Softball Field.