GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – Behind a pair of one-run victories (3-2, 2-1) the Adelphi University Panthers earned the NE10 Southwest Division title as the New Haven Chargers will now await a potential at-large bid to the NCAA East Region Championship which will be hosted by Saint Anselm on May 19-22. The selection show is scheduled for Sunday, May 16 at 10:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on NCAA.com
Leading the Chargers at the plate on the day was juniors Ava Fitzmaurice (Greenville, N.Y./Greenville) and Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) who each combined for three hits across the doubleheader. Fitzmaurice led the way in the opening game with two of her three hits while she also scored both of the Chargers runs. Case had the big hit in game two, drilling her third home run of the season as New Haven's lone tally in that contest.
Fitzmaurice would suffer both losses in the circle, throwing complete games in both, a total of 13.1 innings. Three of the five runs she allowed on the day were unearned while she surrendered nine hits and struck out nine batters.
GAME 1: Adelphi 3, New Haven 2
Neither team would muster a run in the first three innings with each scattering a single hit among those three frames. New Haven would be the first to strike in the top of the fourth inning, all starting with a leadoff single from Fitzmaurice. The Panthers forced the next two batters into a popup and a strikeout before Ellie Frederick (Sunapee, N.H./Sunapee) singled through the right side which allowed Fitzmaurice to advance to third.
With runners on the corners, designated player Morgan Fisher (Erial, N.J./Paul VI) drilled a ball to shortstop that was mishandled, allowing Fitzmaurice to score and leaving two runners on base. The Chargers would end up stranding those two runners aboard to end the inning.
Adelphi didn't let that 1-0 lead stand long as they plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Both of the Panthers runs came on a two out single from Angela Lignelli.
It was another two-out rally for the Chargers in the fifth as they knotted the score thanks to a triple from Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) as that hit to the base of the wall in left center allowed Fitzmaurice to score after she drew a five-pitch walk.
New Haven would muster hits in the sixth and seventh innings, including a double by case to lead off the seventh, but the Panthers managed to strand both of those runners on base. It wouldn't be until the bottom of the seventh that Adelphi managed to get a runner aboard, that also coming on a leadoff double. An error at second base would extend the inning and provide the Panthers with a bases loaded opportunity which was taken advantage of by lead-off hitter Emily Whitman who singled home the winning run on a hit to right field.
Game 2: Adelphi 2, New Haven 1
Adelphi kept that momentum going to start out the second game, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. The first of those runs came on a sacrifice bunt attempt that was misplayed by the third baseman, while an RBI double from Faith Camilleri drove in the second and eventual game-winning run.
Neither team would erase the zero from the scoreboard over the next 10 half innings before New Haven was able to get on the board with a single run in the bottom of the sixth inning. That's when Case came through with her third home run of the season and the only of the day for either team cutting the Panthers lead in half.
The Chargers would have the last opportunity of the afternoon to extend the series to a deciding game on Monday afternoon, but the Panthers Claire Fon, who entered with one-out in the sixth, retired the Blue and Gold in order to earn her third save and advance Adelphi to the NE10 Championship series.
