WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Ellie Frederick (Sunapee, N.H./Sunapee) raced home from second base on an error at second base to score the game's only run as the New Haven softball team defeated American International 1-0 in a pitchers dual to advance to the NE10 Southwest Division Championship series. New Haven will travel to No. 1 seed Adelphi for the best-of-three series which is slated to begin on Sunday, May 9.
The single run in the game for New Haven (27-5) came in the second inning while both teams stranded three runners aboard over the final five innings. The Chargers lone hit of the game came from senior Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph) as she sailed a ball over the outstretched reach of the shortstop to lead off the second inning.
Earning the victory in the circle was junior Ava Fitzmaurice (Greenville, N.Y./Greenville) as she threw a complete game for her 20th victory of the season. The Greenville, N.Y. native surrendered four hits and a walk and struck out a game-high five batters.
American International threatened early on with two runners reaching with one out in the first inning. Fitzmaurice would force the next two batters into a fly out and groundout to end the inning. The Chargers also made noise in the opening inning with the first three batters all reaching safely with a walk and back-to-back fielder's choice plays. A strikeout would end the New Haven threat and keep the game scoreless.
After retiring the side in order in the top of the second, Hillman led off New Haven's half of the inning with the lone hit. A fielder's choice from Frederick erased the pinch runner at second, but Laforte answered by swiping the base to put a runner in scoring position for classmate Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran). The right fielder drilled a ball to second base that hit off the foot of Mackenzie Berman and kicked into the outfield allowing Frederick to score without a play at the plate.
The Yellow Jackets would manage to get runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings but ended up stranding both at second to maintain the Chargers shutout. New Haven also managed runners in the final three innings as Veisz, Hillman and Fitzmaurice all reached on walks. Of the three, Fitzmaurice was the only to reach scoring position when she swiped second base for her sixth stolen base of the season.
After being stranded on second in the sixth, Fitmaurice entered the circle to close things out in the seventh. She quickly erased the first batter on a first-pitch fly out to centerfield before a second-straight looking strikeout to the second baseman Berman. With a pinch hitter entering in the nine spot in the lineup, Fitzmaurice forced a pop up to second base with Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) securing the out and the trip to the divisional championship series with the final out of the game.
The best-of-three series will begin with a doubleheader on Sunday at Adelphi's Ficke Field with the opening game scheduled for 12:00 p.m. All of the action will be available live on NE10 NOW.
