WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Junior second baseman Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) drilled her first collegiate home run, a three run blast that helped the New Haven softball team earn a two-game sweep of the American International Yellow Jackets on Thursday afternoon at the New Haven Softball Field.
Simpson was one of two Chargers to close out the day with four RBI, joining classmate Ava Fitzmaurice (Greenville, N.Y./Greenville) who finished the afternoon a combined 4-for-6 with four RBI and a pair of walks. Fitzmaurice also earned a victory and notched her fourth save of the season on the afternoon. Simpson closed out her afternoon at the plate going 3-of-6, while also earning a pair of free passes.
Overall, the Chargers finished with 17 hits scattered across seven different players with a pair of freshman matching Simpson's three hits; catcher Morgan Fisher (Erial, N.J./Paul VI) and right fielder Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran). Both Fisher and Laforte also drove in two runs.
In addition to Fitzmaurice's victory in the circle, junior Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) also picked up a win. Fitzmaurice threw a complete game in the opener, surrendering two hits and striking out five batters. Iodice earned the start in game two, throwing 5.2 innings, including four hitless to start the game. She also led the pair with nine strikeouts, including seven of the first nine outs.
GAME 1: New Haven 7, American International 0
The Chargers struck early in the opening game, plating a pair of first inning runs on a two-out, three-hit rally. Simpson began the string of base knocks with a single to right center. Fisher followed that up with a double to right center that allowed Simpson to score from first. Fisher was then rewarded by senior Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph) who singled up the middle.
That early 2-0 lead would remain until a breakout fifth inning as the Chargers drove the starting pitcher out of the circle and faced the new arm of Kacie Allison. Freshman Ellie Frederick (Sunapee, N.H./Sunapee) would lead off against the new pitcher, earning a walk and eventually scoring the first of a five-run rally in the frame.
Frederick was able to score thanks to a single to center from Laforte. Fitzmaurice would then grab a pair of RBI on a bases-clearing double to the base of the fence in left center, while Simpson followed her with another double, this one to left field which plated Fitzmaurice. Simpson would become the final run in the frame when she stole third and was driven home on a single to right center from Fisher.
On the flipside, both hits that Fitzmaurice surrendered in the circle were singles, with one of those batters advancing into scoring position thanks to a sacrifice bunt, but never made it beyond second base. Those two hits were the only two runners in the game for American International as Fitzmaurice would retire the final 11 batters she faced in order.
GAME 2: New Haven 7, American International 3
New Haven opened up its scoring in game two in the second inning, plating three runs, two of which were made possible by a triple to left center from Fitzmaurice. Prior to that hit, Frederick led off the inning with a walk and put herself in scoring position with a stolen base. That allowed Laforte to drive her in on a hard hit single up the middle as she beat out the throw home. LaForte was then able to score as part of Fitzmaurice's triple which also plated junior Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) who reached base on a walk and stole second.
Three more runs for New Haven came in the fourth inning courtesy of Simpson's first collegiate home run as she sailed the pitch from Riley Sullivan over the left field fence. Her single swing of the bat also drove in Case and Fitzmaurice who reached on a walk and fielder's choice, respectively.
American International broke through scoring their first runs of the day in the top of the sixth inning when Kodi Gora sailed a home run that just made its way inside of the left field foul pole. The Chargers answered by taking one run back on back-to-back hits from Fisher and Anderson, the latter of which was an RBI double to right center.
In the circle, Iodice threw four hitless innings before the Yellow Jackets broke that streak with a bunt single to lead off the fifth. Overall, she surrendered just two hits and walked two batters while striking out nine. Fitzmaurice would end up facing five batters, allowing a single hit before closing out her fourth save with a pair of groundouts.
NEXT UP
New Haven returns to the diamond on Saturday when they travel back to Pelz Field to close out the Southwest Division series against crosstown rival Southern Connecticut State with a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. with all the action available on NE10 Now and livestats available through NewHavenChargers.com.
