WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Junior Madison Derosia (Brattleboro, Vt./Brattleboro Union) closed out an impressive performance at the plate with four hits in five at bats for a .800 average over the doubleheader as the University of New Haven softball team swept a Northeast-10 Southwest Division doubleheader from the visiting Le Moyne Dolphins on Senior Day at the New Haven Softball Field. Derosia also knocked in one run, while freshman Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph's) led the team with a pair of RBI as she smacked her team-leading 10th home run of the season to dead center field for the only two runs in a 2-0 shutout in game two.

In the circle, sophomore's Kylie Stonebraker (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis High School) and Megan Butts (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) each picked up a victory with Stonebraker adding a save to her tally in game one. Stonebraker pitched a total of eight innings on the day, not allowing a run while surrendering four hits and striking out 10 batters across the two appearances. Butts finished her six innings of work in the opening game allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on four hits with a trio of strikeouts.

Overall, the Chargers combined across the doubleheader for 12 hits with Derosia's four part of five players who all finished the day with two or more. Among Derosia's four hits was a double which came in the opening game when she finished a perfect 4-of-4 at the plate. Derosia also had a great day defensively with one of her four putouts coming on a diving catch to her right, robbing the Dolphins of a hit.  

Following Derosia in leading the Chargers was senior Tori Schiebe (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) who finished with two hits in four at bats, while also earning a free pass on a hit batsman and sacrificing herself on a bunt attempt. Schiebe also picked up an RBI when she drove in the game-winning run in the opening game on a single to right field in the fifth inning. Rounding out the leaders offensively was senior Kristine Liptack (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull), Hillman and junior Taylor Luzzi (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) who all finished with two hits. In addition to the RBI's from Hillman, Derosia and Schiebe, Liptack and senior Marisa Colby each finished with one RBI apiece, both coming as part of a two-run third inning in game one.

GAME 1: New Haven 4, Le Moyne 3

Both teams would be held to just one hit in the first two innings of the opening game with the Dolphins threatening first in the top of the third when they left a runner stranded at third thanks to Butts forcing an infield groundout after surrendering a one-out single to center field.

The Chargers then broke the scoreless draw in their half of the third inning when Derosia began a two-run rally with a one-out double to center field. Luzzi followed that with her first hit of the afternoon, a single to right center that left runners on the corners. Colby and Liptack each followed with RBI at-bats as Colby drove in Derosia on an infield groundout and Liptack followed with a clutch two-out single to left that drove in Luzzi from second.

The Dolphins didn't let that New Haven lead last long as they scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 3-2 lead. The first four batters of the inning for Le Moyne all reached safely with RBI's from Alexis Eastmen and Taylor Artley driving in the first two runs, while the go-ahead run scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Kelsey Johnson.

The Chargers answered right back in the bottom of the fourth, knotting the score at three courtesy of an RBI single to right center from Derosia as she drove in Schiebe who was hit by a pitch. That single from Derosia allowed Schiebe to score from second after advancing thanks to another hit batter, this time around senior third baseman Erin Stever (Parish, N.Y./Altmar Parish Williamstown) earned the free pass.

The game-winning run for New Haven came in the bottom of the fifth inning and with the assistance of two hits and an error against the Dolphins. The error began the Chargers rally with Liptack reaching safely thanks to the miscue at shortstop. That error proved costly as Samantha Errera (Sweetwater, N.J./Cedar Creek), who pinch ran for Liptack, scored what would eventually prove to be the only run that matters when she came scored from third on a two-out single to right field from Schiebe.

After Butts worked a one-two-three inning in the top of the sixth, the Chargers turned to a new look in Stonebraker to close out the game. Despite allowing one baserunner on a hit batsman, Stonebraker struck out the final two batters she faced, both in swinging fashion to earn her second save of the season.

GAME 2: New Haven 2, Le Moyne 0

The second game of the day turned out to be a pitchers dual as neither team would muster a run until the sixth inning when New Haven broke through courtesy of a home run to straight away centerfield off the bat of the rookie catcher, Hillman.

Prior to that two-run blast, the Chargers relied on some key defense from Stonebraker to work out of trouble in the second inning when the Dolphins looked to be set up with runners on the corners with one out. The sophomore hurler did exactly what she did to end the opening game, forcing the next two batters she faced into swinging strikeouts to maintain the scoreless draw.

New Haven's first major threat came in the third inning when they stranded the bases loaded. The first three batters in the inning all reach safely with Stever being hit by a pitch followed by back-to-back singles from Derosia and Luzzi that loaded the bases. The Dolphins pitcher dug deep and retired the next three batters on a fly out, a strikeout and a groundout to maintain the stalemate.

Until the Blue and Gold scored in the sixth inning, neither team could muster more than a single runner. In that sixth inning rally for the Chargers it was again the first two batters of the inning that wreaked havoc for the Dolphins as Liptack led off the frame with a single to left field which was quickly followed by Hillman's team-leading 10th home run.

Le Moyne looked to threaten in the top of the seventh with a pair of batters reaching safely on free passes, but Stonebraker didn't give in, forcing the next two batters into fly balls, the last out of which came on a deep drive on the warning track in right field but was hauled in by Alexandria Cunkle (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) to secure the two-game sweep.

UP NEXT
The Chargers and Dolphins close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon when the pair meet up for the series finale at the New Haven Softball Field. First pitch in the Sunday afternoon battle is slated for 12:00 p.m.