GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – Two RBI each from seniors Madison Derosia (Brattleboro, Vt./Brattleboro Union) and Vanessa Strohm (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) led New Haven to a come-from-behind victory to split a doubleheader against the NE10 Southwest Division leading Adelphi Panthers on Wednesday afternoon. The Chargers dropped the opening game by a 3-0 margin before taking the nightcap by a 6-5 final.
Strohm and Derosia's two RBI apiece each came as part of a fifth inning rally where the Chargers scored five runs to erase and early 2-0 deficit against the Panthers. Derosia's two RBI came on a single while Strohm had the biggest hit of the day, plating her two runs on a triple to right centerfield. Also smacking an extra base hit against the Panthers was freshman Rachel Crafts (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) who had her double come as part of four hits in the opening game.
Earning the victory in the circle for New Haven was junior Megan Butts (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) who threw a pair of innings in relief of freshman starter Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional). Overall, Iodice allowed a single earned run, while Butts surrendered three. Freshman Ava Fitzmaurice (Greenville, N.Y./Greenville) also picked up a decision in the second game when she came in to relieve Butts in the seventh inning to earn her second save of the season.
The Chargers will continue divisional play this weekend when they travel to Syracuse, N.Y. for a three-game series with the Le Moyne Dolphins scheduled for Friday and Saturday. The series will begin with a doubleheader on Friday with a 2:00 p.m. first pitch scheduled. Follow NewHavenChargers.com for updates on the weekend series with inclement weather expected throughout the region.
GAME ONE: Adelphi 3, New Haven 0
Adelphi opened up the scoring early in the day plating two runs in the bottom of the first before adding their final tally in the sixth inning. The Chargers mustered just four hits total off of the Adelphi starter, Ally Muller with all four hits coming from different players. Among the four hits for New Haven was one extra base hit, a double from Rachel Crafts (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional), while Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) swiped a base while pinch running in the sixth inning.
Suffering the loss for the Chargers was freshman Ava Fitzmaurice (Greenville, N.Y./Greenville) who threw a complete game against the Panthers. Overall, she surrendered a single earned run off of seven hits and a walk while striking out one.
GAME TWO: New Haven 6, Adelphi 5
New Haven would again be working from behind as the Panthers scored a pair of runs in the first inning for the second-straight game. After surrendering the two early runs, only one of which was earned, the starter Iodice kept Adelphi at bay for the next three innings before being relieved in the fifth.
The Chargers were held without a hit through the first five innings before freshman Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) and sophomore Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph) opened up the sixth inning with back-to-back singles, two hits that would begin a five-run rally that came on five hits, a walk and a fielder's choice.
Following the two opening hits from Case and Hillman and the first out recorded by Adelphi, senior Taylor Luzzi (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) began another string of hits with a single to shortstop that loaded the bases for Derosia. The second baseman took the first pitch she faced and laced it down the right field line for a single that scored both Case and Hillman and left Luzzi on the opposite corner.
Much the same as Derosia, Strohm wasn't going to wait around long, seeing just one pitch before drilling her first triple of the season into right center clearing the bases and leaving her in scoring position. After a walk was issued to Melissa Bike (Stratford, Conn./Saint Joseph), Catherine Vaughan (Commack, N.Y./Hauppauge) hit into a fielder's choice but it was enough to score Luzzi from third to give the Chargers a four-run cushion they would eventually need.
The Chargers added what would amount to the game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning, making a leadoff walk issued to Case come back to haunt the Panthers. After stealing second, Case advanced to third on a passed ball and was able to score as Adelphi extended the inning with a fielding error off of Luzzi's bat.
Adelphi wasn't going to go down without a fight as they responded to the Chargers late rally with one of their own in the seventh inning. After opening up the inning with a home run, the Panthers managed two more before Fitzmaurice managed the final two outs on a pair of groundouts to the left side, stranding a runner in scoring position and earning New Haven the split on the day.
