WEST HAVEN, Conn. – For the third time this season, the New Haven softball team completed a four-game sweep, picking up both ends of a doubleheader against the American International Yellow Jackets on Tuesday afternoon. Leading the way for the Blue and Gold was junior second baseman Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) who finished with six hits in seven at bats with a trio of RBI.
Simpson was one of six players to finish with multiple hits on the day, while two of her six hits went for extra bases, a double and a triple. Following Simpson in leading the Chargers was senior designated player Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph) who drove in a team-high four runs on three hits in five at bats. Freshman Ellie Frederick (Sunapee, N.H./Sunapee) also drove in three runs, with all three coming on one swing of the bat as she drilled her second home run of the season over the left field fence.
In the circle, Ava Fitzmaurice (Greenville, N.Y./Greenville) earned the victory in both sides of the doubleheader, pitching a total of 9.2 innings. She threw a complete game in the opener to earn the 9-1 run-rule victory, while pitching the final 3.2 innings in the nightcap for her 15th victory of the season. Overall, Fitzmaurice surrendered six hits while allowing a single unearned run and striking out eight batters. Junior Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) started game two for New Haven, pitching three-and-a-third innings, giving up a single rung on two hits.
GAME 1: New Haven 9, American International 1
The Chargers scored early and often taking a 7-0 lead following two innings of work. Junior shortstop Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) opened up the game with a single through the left side, the first of three hits in the inning. Simpson drove in the first run of the inning on a fielder's choice while a double from Hillman drove in the second run.
Batting nearly through the order in the second inning, the Chargers put up four more runs in the second inning with Simpson's single down the left field line drive in two of the runs. Case also picked up an RBI in the inning with her second-straight hit, a single up the middle. Fisher would drive in the final run on an infield groundout.
Both teams would plate a single run in the fourth inning with Simpson opening the Chargers rally with a triple to right center, scoring two batters later on a throwing error by the third baseman. Needing a single run to end the game in the bottom of the sixth, the Chargers took advantage of back-to-back leadoff walks followed by a single from Simpson that loaded the bases. After a line drive put up the first out of the frame, Hillman would gather her second RBI of the game with a free pass for the walk-off victory.
The lone run allowed by Fitzmaurice in the circle went unearned. Overall, she would surrender five hits in the game, while striking out six batters and stranding seven runners on base.
GAME 2: New Haven 8, American International 1
New Haven again plated a leadoff batter in game two as Case opened up the game with a walk. After stealing second and taking third on a wild pitch, she was able to score on the next at bat when Fitzmaurice was struck out but Case took off for home on the throw down from a dropped third strike.
The Yellow Jackets evened the score with a single run in the top of the second inning, but New Haven began to put the game out of reach with two runs in the third and one in the fourth. In the third inning back-to-back doubles from Simpson and Fisher accounted for the first run with Fisher earning the RBI on her smack down the line. Three batters later, Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran) singled to right which allowed Fisher to score. Hillman provided the RBI single in the fourth, knocking in another leadoff walk which was issued to the nine-hole hitter, Ashley Veisz (Robbinsville,N.J./Robbinsville).
With two runners in scoring position in the fourth, New Haven turned the ball over to Fitzmaurice in the circle as she forced a pair of infield groundouts to strand those runners, preserving the two-run lead. From that point on, Fitzmaurice allowed just two more base runners to earn the victory.
The final four runs for New Haven came in the sixth inning with Fitzmaurice kicking off the rally with a lead-off single through the left side, the first of three-straight singles that loaded the bases for Hillman who drove a deep fly ball to center field for the sacrifice. Frederick followed that up with a no-questions asked home run over the left field fence, extending the lead to 8-1.
NEXT UP
The Chargers will continue Northeast-10 Southwest Division play with a four-game home series against the Pace Setters that is scheduled for Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1. First pitch in game one of the series on Friday is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. with all of the action available on the Charger Sports Network on NE10 NOW.
