WEST HAVEN, Conn. – An RBI single from senior second baseman Madison Derosia (Brattleboro, Vt./Brattleboro Union) drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning as the New Haven softball team took a 5-4 decision over the visiting Saint Rose Golden Knights to secure the series victory over the Southwest Division foe. Overall, senior centerfielder Sierra Whitlock (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) led the Chargers bats with two of the seven total hits.
Whitlock also led New Haven with a pair of RBI while Derosia and freshman catcher Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) also drove in runs. Junior left fielder Catherine Vaughan (Commack, N.Y./Hauppauge) was the only Charger to finish with an extra base hit as her single knock of the day went for two bases off the base of the wall in right center field.
Earning the victory in the circle for New Haven was freshman reliever Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) who entered with a 3-1 deficit and struck out five of the eight total batters she face in 2.1 innings of work. Classmate Ava Fitzmaurice (Greenville, N.Y./Greenville) opened up the game for the Blue and Gold, allowing four earned on six hits and four walks in 4.2 innings of work.
The Chargers would need to work from behind early after the Golden Knights opened up the game platting a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. The Saint Rose bats were busy right out of the gates, smacking back-to-back doubles to score the first run of the afternoon before a third hit in the inning gave the visitors the early 2-0 lead.
Saint Rose starter Samantha Allen was also a strong point for the Golden Knights from the start, retiring the first eight batters she faced in order before Vaughan doubled to the base of the fence in right center. After Vaughan was able to time Allen's pitches, she swiped third easily and was able to score when Whitlock followed with another hit, legging out a deep single to short stop, cutting the deficit in half.
After surrendering a two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning which extended the New Haven deficit to three runs, the Chargers rallied with two outs in the bottom half of the fifth to knot the game at 4-4. The first two batters for New Haven would reach safely with first baseman Melissa Bike (Stratford, Conn./Saint Joseph) working a walk and Derosia following with a fielder's choice that was booted at short allowing Bike to reach second safely and provide an extra out for the Blue and Gold.
After the Golden Knights managed a pair of outs, the top of the order proved clutch as centerfielder Sierra Whitlock (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) singled to centerfield as the ball got away from fielder allowing her to advance all the way to third. The initial hit allowed Bike to score from second, while the error in the outfield provided enough time for Derosia to score from first. Case followed Whitlock with a second-straight single, this one through the left side out of the reach of the third baseman which allowed Whitlock to score, tying the game at four.
After Iodice retired the Golden Knights in order in the top of the sixth inning, all by way of a strikeout, the Chargers would rally again opening up their half of the frame two singles in the first three batters to score the go-ahead run. Designated player Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph) led off the inning with a single to centerfield before freshman Hailey Polisano (Howell, N.J./Howell) came in to pinch run for her. Bike would follow that hit with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt to which Derosia followed with a single to the gap in right center that drove in the game-winning run.
After having their scheduled doubleheader on Tuesday at Pace rained out, the Chargers will now travel to Pleasantville, N.Y. to close out the series against the Setters on Thursday. The two squads will begin the day by concluding the suspended game from earlier this month before concluding the divisional series. First pitch at Pace Softball Field is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
