NEW CASTLE, Del. – The senior class came up clutch on day two of the NCAA Division II East Regionals as the University of New Haven softball team staved off back-to-back elimination games defeating Wilmington 7-4 and Adelphi 6-2 to advance to the Championship round on Saturday. New Haven will take on the second seeded LIU Post Pioneers needing to take a pair of victories over the ECC foe to advance to the second Super Regional in program history. First pitch from Wilmington's Asbury Field is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
In the opener it was the Chargers senior right fielder who came up huge with a pair of home runs that accounted for five runs in total while finishing 3-of-3 at the plate and scored three runs. In the night cap, it was the senior second baseman Madison Derosia (Brattleboro, Vt./Brattleboro Union) that sparked New Haven's rally when she plated a pair of runs on bases loaded single that she dropped in a foot inside the foul line down the left field line just over third base. That hit from Derosia began what turned into a six-run rally, shifting the momentum away from the Panthers.
In addition to Strohm and Whitlock, the Chargers senior centerfielder Sierra Whitlock (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) combined for five total hits across the doubleheader while senior third baseman Taylor Luzzi (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) also finished with three hits in the night cap. Both Luzzi and Whitlock also drove in one run on the day. Overall at the plate, New Haven combined for 18 hits against both Wilmington and Adelphi.
In the circle, freshman Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) pitched her way to a pair of victories, including opening the day with a complete-game victory against the host Wildcats. In that performance, she allowed four earned runs on six hits while striking out four. In game two, Iodice would relieve the starter Megan Butts (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) in the second inning, throwing six full innings of shutout softball. Overall in the nightcap, Iodice surrendered just two hits and stranded six Panthers on base.
GAME ONE: New Haven 7, Wilmington 4
The Chargers would get things rolling early against the Wildcats, plating three runs in the top of the first inning. Whitlock led off the game with her first of two doubles, lacing this one to left center. After a pair of outs, sophomore catcher Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph) managed a free pass setting up Strohm with runners on first and second, to which she answered with her second postseason home run, jacking the three-run blast over the Wilmington sign in left centerfield.
The Chargers would add another run in the second inning, turning a leadoff infield single from sophomore first baseman Melissa Bike (Stratford, Conn./Saint Joseph) into a two-out run. After the next two batters each succumbed on K's, Whitlock came up clutch when she drilled her second double in as many innings, this time sailing it to the base of the fence in right center which allowed Bike to score all the way from first.
Defensively, New Haven surrendered a single run in the bottom of the first, but it wasn't until a three-run fourth inning that the Wildcats were able to know the score at four. Iodice would respond however, stranding the bases loaded to get out of the inning.
The Blue and Gold would regain the lead in the top of the sixth inning thanks to a patient pinch hit opportunity from sophomore Katrina Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley). Strohm began the scoring rally when she reached safely for the third time on a single to left with one out. After a deep fly ball to center recorded the second out, Bike would wait out a walk before a single to left from the designated player Alexandria Cunkle (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) loaded the bases. New Haven turned to Aponte for the bases juiced opportunity, but after she fell behind early 0-2, the catcher battled back to load the count before taking a pitch outside the zone to earn the go-ahead RBI.
Strohm took advantage of an error in the top of the seventh to add a pair of insurance runs when she drilled her second home run of the game over the fence in left field recording her fourth and fifth RBI of the game and giving Iodice some breathing room.
GAME TWO: New Haven 6, Adelphi 2
Adelphi would turn the tables on New Haven in game two, opening up the contest with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning after stranding a pair of New Haven runners on the corners in the top half of the frame. Over the first four innings combined, Adelphi would strand a total of eight New Haven runners on base to maintain the shutout.
Defensively, New Haven worked out of bases loaded trouble in the second after they turned to Iodice with two runners on to start the inning. The rookie pitcher would pop up the first two batters she faced, the top two in Adelphi's batting order, before getting out of trouble with a fly ball to right.
The Charger bats would catch up to Adelphi's starter in the fourth inning as Luzzi led off the frame with a line drive single to right field before Hillman was presented a free pass which forced the Panthers to change pitchers in the circle. The change wouldn't affect New Haven at the plate as Strohm worked a walk and Derosia followed with her bases loaded blooper down the left field line that drove in a pair and knotted the game at two.
During the next at bat, which was for the first baseman Bike, a wild pitch plated the go-ahead run with Strohm scoring that tally. Bike followed that by sacrificing herself to score Derosia while during Cunkle's at bat which followed rain would cause havoc and what would turn into a 30 minute delay. Cunkle returned to the plate with a 2-1 count and the delay didn't affect her as she drilled a double to left center, extending the Chargers rally.
Cunkle would take advantage of another wild pitch to advance to third before another sacrifice on the part of Catherine Vaughan (Commack, N.Y./Hauppauge) scored Cunkle and left the bases clear but turned the lineup over to the leadoff batter Whitlock. The senior centerfielder drilled yet another two-bagger, this one down the left field line and she was later rewarded by Luzzi who drove her in on a single to right field.
Defensively, Iodice would retire the Panthers without trouble in the sixth inning, despite allowing a two-out walk. In the top of the seventh, the rookie pitcher allowed double from the number two batter for Adelphi to start things off while issuing a walk to the next batter. She would then force the cleanup hitter into a shallow fly to right before freshman Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) doubled up the Panthers to end the game on a line drive.
