SPARKILL, New York. – In their season opener the Chargers softball team split a double header matchup against Saint Thomas Aquinas. After being held to just two hits, dropping game one 3-0, the bats came alive in game two plating seven Chargers on route to a 7-6 extra inning victory in game two.
Game 1
In their first look at game speed pitches the Chargers went down in order in the top half of the first. Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) got the nod in the circle and struck out two Spartans before giving up a two out double before closing the inning on a line out to second base. In the top of the second the blue and gold picked up their first hit as Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran) drove a Abbie Landrum pitch back up the middle with two outs before being stranded on first to end the inning. In the home half the Spartans were able to push three across against Iodice opening with a lead-off double. One run would score on Amanda Demmerle single up the middle followed by a Carissa Della Vecchia double that would cross Demmerle and Landrum before the Chargers were able to get the third out and end the inning. After giving up three runs in the second Iodice settled in giving up one hit through her final three innings of work. Landrum would return to the circle with the lead after the third and kept the Chargers bats cold and pitching around the little pressure she had in the 6th. The sixth inning saw the Chargers greatest opportunity to close the gap on the Spartans as Hailey Polisano (Howell, N.J./Howell) led the inning off with a walk and advanced to second on a fielder's choice. Freshman Maeve Loughheed was denied her first collegiate hit reaching on an error, setting up first and second with two outs and Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) coming to the plate. Rudae Gadson denied Simpson's attempt to close the gap as Gadson reached out and made the play on Simpsons hit to throw her out and end the inning with the margin still being three runs. The bats remained quiet in the 7th as Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) and Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran) were retired on two pitches before Halle Fredrick grounded out to third as the Spartans took game one winning 3-0. Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) took the loss in six innings of work giving up five hits and three earned runs striking out three. The bats of the Chargers were only able to earn two hits and draw one walk against Landrum.
Game 2
The Chargers wasted no time tacking on their first run of the game as Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) went deep to left center field for her first and teams first homerun of the season putting the Chargers in front 1-0. In the bottom half Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) entered the circle for the first time in two years and got a quick first out via the ground ball before a walk and a strike out. The Spartans put a little pressure on Aponte before the third out was recorded, earning the second walk of the inning before stranding two in the inning. Meg Anderson (Cranston, R.I./Cranston) led off the second with a walk and Ashanti Truelsen (Yonkers, N.Y./Saint Vincent Ferrer) pinch ran for Anderson advancing to second on a wild pitch and third on a fielder's choice. The blue and gold would strand Truelsen at third after Stephanie Smith (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Catholic) ended the inning striking out.
The pressure the Spartans put on Aponte and the defense in the first came through again in the second with two outs pushing two runs across to take the lead.
It would become a pitchers duel as both pitchers settled in but that changed in the sixth as Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) came through again for the Chargers. Simpson stayed in the park this time but sent the pitch deep to centerfield which was deep enough for Maeve Lougheed (Audobon, N.J./Audobon) and Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee). After a 1,2,3 inning for Aponte in the bottom of the 6th the blue and gold added two more from a single off the bat of Maeve Lougheed (Audobon, N.J./Audobon) to score Ashley Veisz (Robbinsville,N.J./Robbinsville) and Stephanie Smith (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Catholic) giving the Chargers a 5-2 lead heading into the last half of the seventh. Down to their final three outs the Spartans cashed in on walks and wild pitches to pick up three runs to force extras in New York. In extras it was Melissa Bike (Stratford, Conn./Saint Joseph) that was the hero for the Chargers doubling to right scoring Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) and Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph), who reached on a walk, to give the Chargers the two run lead going into the bottom half of the 8th. Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) headed back out to the circle looking to pick up the win and shut down the Spartans. Saint Thomas was able to push one across but then Aponte and the Chargers defense were able to pick up the three outs from a strike out and two pop ups. Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) went 2-4 with 3 RBI's, one from the homer in the first. Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) picked up the win in extras giving up six runs, three being earned while striking out 6.
Next to the Plate
The Chargers move to 1-1 on the year and return to West Haven for a week of practices before they pack their bags and head down to Winter Haven Florida to play in the NJT Games where they will play 10 games in five days. The Chargers open up on Sunday March 13th against Dominican College with first pitch being at 9:00 a.m.
