GAME DAY INFORMATION DATE: April 13-14, 2021 LOCATION: Le Moyne Softball Complex Syracuse, NY GAME DAY LINKS LIVE STATS TUESDAY LIVE VIDEO

NEWS NEWS ROSTER ROSTER SCHEDULE SCHEDULE STATS STATS

THE LEAD

The New Haven softball team (8-4, 3-3 NE10) will look to continue its winning ways when it travels to Syracuse, NY for a four-game set against conference foe Le Moyne in a battle for second place in the NE10 Southwest Division. The series will consist of a pair of doubleheaders on Tuesday, April 13 and Wednesday, April 14. First pitch Tuesday will be thrown at 3:00 pm, while Wednesday's doubleheader will start at 2:00 pm. Game two each day will follow the conclusion of the opening game by approximately 30 minutes. All the action from the UNH Softball Field will be broadcast live on the Charger Sports Network on NE10 NOW. 

The Chargers enter the midweek series on the heels of an impressive doubleheader sweep of crosstown rival SCSU back on April 7, 2021. The Blue and Gold won the two games by a combined 20-1 count. UNH, which has won five of its six home games in 2021, will look to improve its 3-3 road record with these four games in Syracuse. UNH sits third in the NE10 Southwest Division with a 3-3 conference mark, one spot behind Le Moyne.

Le Moyne (7-5, 7-5) comes into the showdown for second place off the heels of a 3-1 series win over the College of Saint Rose this past weekend. The Dolphins won the first three games by a combined score of 16-6, before losing the finale by a 2-1 score. This will be Le Moyne's second home series, having taken three of four from AIC back on April 3-4, 2021.

SERIES HISTORY VS LE MOYNE

The Chargers and Dolphins have played 29 times in the last 10 years with the Blue and Gold holding a slim 15-14 advantage. New Haven has won four of the last six meetings, capturing two of the three games played in each of the 2018 and 2019 seasons. UNH won games by scores of 11-9 (10 innings) and 8-3 while dropping the opener 8-0 on April 19, 2019. There have been only three sweeps in the last 10 years. Le Moyne took all three from UNH in 2017. In 2013, the Blue and Gold won all four games between the two schools, while UNH swept a doubleheader back in 2010. The last time they met on the diamond, it was the Syracuse native Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) (Syracuse, NY/West Genesse) who had the biggest hit of the game. Her RBI single plated the game-winning run in the top of the 10th inning. She would later score the final run for the Chargers in their 11-9 win. Fellow junior Ava Fitzmaurice (Greenville, N.Y./Greenville) (Greenville, NY/Greenville) picked up the win in the circle. She struck out five and scattered seven hits in 7.2 innings in relief.

SCOUTING THE CHARGERS

UNH bats sure got the job done against SCSU in their last outing. They exploded for 20 runs on 25 hits in the doubleheader sweep Wednesday afternoon. Mel Bike (Stratford, CT/Saint Joseph) and Nahtalie Simpson (West Orange, NY/West Orange) combined for eight of those hits. Simpson drove in four Chargers with her four hits, while Bike had three RBIs. Ava Fitzmaurice (Greenville, N.Y./Greenville) (Greenville, NY/Greenville) picked up both wins in the circle. She improved to 6-1 on the season. She has struck out 27 and walked only five in 46.2 innings on the mound. Case leads the team with a .361 batting average and 13 hits. Simpson is batting .306 with six RBIs. Ashley Veisz (Robbinsville,N.J./Robbinsville) (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) leads the Chargers with nine RBIs and two triples.

SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS

Le Moyne is the top hitting team in the NE10 through the first portion of the season. They lead the league with a .326 team batting average. Dominique Russo leads the way offensively for the Dolphins. She sits atop the following five offensive categories - batting average (.432), at bats (37), hits (16), runs (9), and stolen bases (9). Her .432 average is third in the entire NE10. She is followed by Kally LaForce. She is batting .400 with 14 hits in her 35 at bats. She has only been struck out once this season. Laura Bennett is the top hurler for Le Moyne. She has appeared in seven games and sports a 4-0 record. She is pitching to a 1.81 ERA, while striking out 36 and only walking four. She has yet to surrender a triple or home run this season.

POST SEASON PLANS
As announced by the conference office on April 1st, the NE10 has adopted a postseason plan that includes all 14 teams qualifying for the conference championship. The Championship will be conducted in divisional play until the championship series. With seven teams in each division, the top seeded team will receive a first-round bye with the highest seeds, 2-4, hosting first-round games on Tuesday, May 4. Semifinal match-ups will take place on Thursday, May 6 with a best of three divisional championship series set for Sunday, May 9 and if necessary, Monday, May 10. The NE10 Championship Series, another best two of three series, is scheduled for Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16.

THE 2021 SCHEDULE

As recently announced by the league, the NE10 adopted a divisional format for 2021 – Northeast and Southwest – with all schools slated to play a 24-game conference schedule. Series will consist of four games on weekends in doubleheader format, while schools maintain the ability to extend the weekend series to three days or alter the days in which they play in accordance with academic calendars. New Haven will play in the Southwest Division which is made up of seven teams including Adelphi, American International, Le Moyne, Pace, Saint Rose and Southern Connecticut. In addition to its 24-game conference schedule, New Haven will play seven non-divisional dates, including one out of conference opponent, Molloy, bringing their total scheduled games for 2021 to 38.

CHARGERS SECOND IN PRESEASON POLL

In a poll of the conference's 14 head coaches, the UNH softball team was selected to finish second, among the seven teams, in the Southwest Division. The Chargers received 81 points and four of the 14 possible first place votes to finish just behind Adelphi who garnered 87 points and the remaining 10 first place votes. Rounding out the top-five was Pace (68 points), Le Moyne (53) and Saint Rose (36). Southern Connecticut came in at sixth with 32 points, while American International rounds out the division in seventh place with 28 points.

UP NEXT

New Haven will return home to face Saint Rose in a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18. First pitch will be at 12:00 pm on both days at the New Haven softball field. The doubleheaders will be broadcast live on the Charger Sports Network on NE10 NOW. Live stats will also be available via NewHavenChargers.com.