SYRACUSE, N.Y. – After having just completed a three-game regular season series against the Le Moyne Dolphins at home, the University of New Haven softball team followed Le Moyne back to Syracuse for one more match-up, this time in the opening round of the Northeast-10 Championship. Behind a pair of RBI each from senior left fielder Tori Schiebe (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) and junior short stop Taylor Luzzi (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay), the Chargers posted a 5-2 victory to advance to the quarterfinal round on Thursday.
Overall on the day, the Chargers scattered nine hits which came from five different players. Luzzi led all of the Blue and Gold bats with her two RBI coming on three hits in four at bats as she was one of three players to finish with a multi-hit game. Joining her in leading the way was Schiebe whose two RBI came on a pair of hits and sophomore right fielder Alex Cunkle who finished with a pair of hits, including a triple to open up the second inning. Cunkle also added the final RBI of the day, while scoring twice. Rounding out the Chargers offense was senior Kristine Liptack (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) and junior Sierra Whitlock (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) who each finished with one hit.
In the circle, the Chargers two sophomore hurlers split the innings with Butts opening the game and earning her team-leading 13th victory of the season. Butts threw the first four innings allowing one unearned run on four hits and a pair of walks, while striking out one. Stonebraker threw the final three innings allowed an earned run on three hits and a walk. She also struck out three batters.
After both teams benefited from leadoff singles but stranded runners on base, the Chargers were the first to break through when they plated a single run in the bottom of the second inning. Cunkle led off the inning with a triple that left her just 60 feet away from scoring the opening run. She was rewarded on the very next at bat when Schiebe drove her in on a single to right field. Schiebe then managed to get herself into scoring position courtesy of a wild pitch and throwing error, however she would remain stranded at third to end the threat.
Defensively, New Haven stranded two more Le Moyne runners on, one each in the second and third inning. In both instances it was the Blue and Gold's shortstop, Luzzi, who ended the Le Moyne threats with an over the shoulder catch on a pop up in the second and corralling a line drive to end the third.
Offensively, after being retired in order in the third inning, the Chargers boosted its lead with a four-run fourth inning, sending eight batters to the plate. The first two batters reached safely with designated player Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph's) leading off the frame with a walk before being pinch run for by Samantha Errera (Sweetwater, N.J./Cedar Creek) who swiped second for her third stolen base of the season. With her in scoring position, Cunkle connected for the second time in as many at bats, drilling a double to left field with Errera scoring easily for the 2-0 lead.
Cunkle then took advantage of a passed ball to advance to third where she was once again rewarded by Schiebe who this time sacrificed herself on a fly ball to right field. With the bases empty, Whitlock connected on her first hit of the day, knocking a single up the middle before stealing second. After a strikeout for the second out, second baseman Madison Derosia (Brattleboro, Vt./Brattleboro Union) walked to put runners on first and second for Luzzi who smacked the second extra-base hit of the inning, a double to the wall in centerfield that allowed Whitlock to score from second and the speedy Derosia to score from first for a 5-0 lead.
The Dolphins broke up the shutout with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, sandwiching those runs around a one-two-three inning defensively. Those two runs were split over the Chargers two sophomore pitchers with Butts surrendering an unearned tally in the fourth inning after giving up back-to-back singles. In the sixth inning, off of the reliever Stonebraker, the Dolphins score a single run off of three singles before the hurler settled in and forced the final two outs by way of swinging strikeouts.
Stonebraker would respond exactly as expected in her final two innings of work, forcing a three-up, three-down sixth inning and despite issuing a two-out walk in the seventh, forced the final out on an infield pop up to third base. Sandwiched between those two defensive half innings, the Chargers managed to put runners on the corners with one out in the top of the seventh inning with singles from Luzzi and Liptack. However, the Chargers would end up stranding the bases loaded in the seventh.
With the first round victory, the Chargers advance to Championship Weekend which will be hosted by the top seed from the Southwest Division, Adelphi. The Chargers are slated to take on the Northeast Divisions No. 2 seed Southern New Hampshire. New Haven and the Penmen met earlier this season, splitting a doubleheader on the road in Manchester, N.H. First pitch in the quarterfinal match-up is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
