GAME DAY INFORMATION
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DATE: March 5, 2020
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LOCATION: New Haven Softball Field | West Haven, Conn.
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GAME DAY LINKS
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LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
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FIRST PITCH
The University of New Haven softball team will make their first appearance of the season in West Haven on Thursday afternoon with a single game against crosstown rival Southern Connecticut State University. First pitch against the Owls is slated for 3:00 p.m.
SCOUTING THE CHARGERS (2-3, 0-0 NE10)
The Chargers opened up 2020 at the Florida Tech Invitational, returning to the Northeast with a 2-3 record with victories over Palm Beach Atlantic (6-3) and Florida Southern (3-1). Leading the Blue and Gold on both side of the ball was sophomore Ava Fitzmaurice (Greenville, N.Y./Greenville) who racked up a team-high .313 batting average and threw a pair of complete game victories in the circle. Overall, Fitzmaurice scattered five hits, three of them for extra bases, while driving in a team-best three runs. In the circle, she finished her two-game performance with a 1.50 ERA and struck out a combined four batters. Next up on the offensive side of the ball for the Chargers is sophomore Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) who in five starts has collected four hits and a .286 batting average. Following Fitzmaurice in the circle is freshman Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) who in a pair of appearances, including one start, has struck out a staff-best eight batters and amassed a 2.10 ERA over 6.2 innings of work.
SCOUTING THE OWLS (1-5, 0-0 NE10)
Southern Connecticut also began its season outside of New England with six games in Myrtle Beach during mid-February. Over the three days in Myrtle Beach, the Owls finished with a 1-5 record, the lone victory against Goldey-Beacom. Leading the Owls through their season-opening trip in South Carolina was senior shortstop Sara Buscetto who scattered seven hits across 15 at bats for a .467 batting average. Joining her with a team-high seven hits was sophomore catcher/designated hitter Jacqueline Dumont who will enter Thursday with a .389 batting average and a team-high seven RBI. Leading a four-person pitching staff for the Owls is freshman Jessica Perucki who in two starts and four total appearances has amassed a 4.59 ERA across 10.2 innings of work. Perucki has allowed seven earned runs on 17 hits. Following her is junior Jazmyn Martinez who has pitched a team-high 15.2 innings and has struck out a team-best 16 batters while earning the lone victory in the circle.
SERIES HISTORY VS SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT
In the history of the New Haven softball, the Chargers and Owls have met a total of 101 times, the most among all opponents in the history of the program. Overall, New Haven holds a 63-36-2 (.637) lead in the all-time series which dates back to the first season records are available, 1980. In most recent history, the Chargers have won the last six-straight games, including a home-and-home sweep of four games last season. The most recent Owls victory came in the first of three meetings during the 2018 campaign with that SCSU win coming at the New Haven Softball Field.
UP NEXT
New Haven will head south once again, this time to North and South Carolina where they will take on Barton (Tuesday, March 17), UNC Pembroke (Wednesday, March 18) and Francis Marion (Thursday, March 19) in a tour of the Carolinas.
PRESEASON PROPS
In a poll of head coaches, the Chargers were picked to finish fourth in now single division Northeast-10. For the first time since the 2012 season, the NE10 will not play a divisional format in 2020 and will all compete for the top-eight spots that will make up the conference championship field. New Haven was one of four NE10 teams to earn a bid to the East Regional Championship, including the 2020 preseason favorite Saint Anselm who advanced to the Super Regional. Overall, the Hawks garnered seven of the 14 potential first place votes with Adelphi (five) and Southern New Hampshire (two) earning the remaining seven first place tallies.
2020 NE10 Softball Coaches Poll
1. Saint Anselm – 162 (7)
2. Adelphi – 153 (5)
3. Southern New Hampshire - 151 (2)
4. New Haven – 136
5. Pace – 112
6. Le Moyne – 108
7. Assumption – 100
8. Bentley – 82
9. Saint Rose – 64
10. Stonehill – 61
t-11. Southern Connecticut – 46
t-11. Franklin Pierce - 46
13. American International – 37
14. Saint Michael's – 16
