WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Two games down and eight to go in the road trip, the Chargers softball team traveled to New York to take on the Setters of Pace University looking to pick up a pair of crucial conference wins and to get back above .500 on the year.
Preview:
Coming off a pair of tough losses at cross town rival Southern Connecticut State University prepared to take on a Setters team that in their all time series New Haven leads 36-21 and a team that the blue and gold swept in 2021, going 3-0, and winning seven in a row against Pace dating to 2018. New Haven entered the double header 14-14 and 8-6 in the conference. With the long road stand, the team looked to build on their 3-5 record on the road. The offense has continued to be led by the homer with the teams total up to 16 on the year. On the other side, Pace entered the series 21-10 coming off a split against Bentley in extra innings. Both teams were ranked in the region and looking to make a push ahead of the conference tournament.
Game 1:
Game one was a pitchers duel as both offenses combined for one run on three hits against both starting pitchers. Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) worked in the circle and went three up three down in the first before allowing her first hit to the Setters in the second. Aponte would leave that runner on the paths keeping it a tied game. The blue and gold would draw walks in both the fourth and the fifth with Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) walking first and then Ashley Veisz (Robbinsville,N.J./Robbinsville) in the fifth. Both would be left on the bases keeping the game all tied. The Setters would pick up the only two other hits of the contest in the fifth off Aponte, stringing together two hits and punching across one run. That lone run would prove to be all the offense needed as New Haven's offense was not able to answer dropping game one 1-0. Heading into game two the offense looked to heat up and string together more hits.
Game 2:
New Haven put the pressure on early, forcing two errors on Pace and getting both Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) and Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) aboard with only one away. That was however the most of the inning as both would be stranded in the inning. Pace would copy the pressure in the home first, but Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) shut down any chances of that, striking out two in the inning leaving it all tied up. The pressure would be back on Iodice and the Chargers in the second and they would cash in scoring two runs. Pace would score another three runs in the 4th making it a five run game. In the fifth inning Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) cut into the Setters lead. Emily Bump (Stratford, Conn./Lauralton Hall) pinch hit and singled to right center starting the inning off. Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) then came up and with one swing of the bat brought the energy. Case cleared the left field fence for her fifth homer of the year and the teams 17th of the season making it a three run game. The offense would pick up another two hits but were denied any runs dropping the game 5-2.
With the pair of losses, New Haven moves to 14-16 on the year and 8-8 in the conference. The road trip continues for the Chargers with a weekend trip in Massachusetts first on Saturday with a double header against Stonehill, followed by a Sunday double header against Bentley. The push for the postseason is on for the blue and gold and the road trip continues to be an important trip for the team.
