WEST HAVEN, Conn. – After being previously rescheduled, the matchup between the Chargers and the Purple Knights was set. Both the blue and gold this was the final series of their ten game road stand and it also marked the last time the team would have a  road game of the regular season before returning home for their final two series of the season. New Haven looked to end the road, stand strong and return home on a high note and ruin Saint Michael's Senior day.

Preview: 

Lifetime the series has been dominated by the Chargers looking to keep perfection. In twelve previous meetings New Haven was 12-0, with the Chargers in 2019 going to Vermont and winning both in their last matchup. New Haven entered off a pair of tough loses to Bentley in two games that went to the wire. The Chargers on the season sat 16-18 and 10-10 in the conference which placed them seventh and making their final push for the postseason. Saint Michael's hosted the blue and gold on their senior day wrapping up their home campaign where they were 4-4 at home and 9-24 overall with a 5-15 record in the NE10. The Chargers looked to stay perfect and a chance to ruin senior day.

Game 1:

All four runs in the game were scored in the sixth inning with five combined hits coming in that inning alone compared to the seven spread across the rest of the game. The first five innings were quiet and both offenses were held in check. New Haven through the first five picked up at least a hit in all but one inning as Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley), working in the circle, gave up her first hit in the third inning. New Haven would threaten in both the fourth and fifth getting two runners on in each and getting to third before being denied. The Purple Knights were only able to hold for so long and after the suspense built the Chargers cashed in during the sixth inning. Briana Clementi (Morganville, N.J./Colts Neck) led the inning off, singling right back up the middle into center field. In what was a close game all day that was looking like it would be decided by a run, Don Justus turned to small ball to push a run across. After the single, Maeve Lougheed (Audobon, N.J./Audobon) dropped down the sacrifice bunt to advance pinch running Cayley Gottschall (Tampa, Fla./Sunlake) to second. Gottschall would then advance to third on Halle Frederick's (Green Lane, Pa./Quakertown) groundout with two away. Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) stepped in, with an opportunity to help herself in the circle, and drew a two out walk to set up first and third with two away. Enter freshman Alex Tenero (Wallingford, Conn./Lyman Hall) to pinch hit and down to her final strike she delivered for the Chargers. Tenero battled the count to 2-2 and on the fifth pitch of the at bat, she found space up the middle, singling to center and scoring Gottschall from third. That would be what the team needed, scoring two more runs with two outs to take the three run lead. Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran) would single after Tenero driving in a run followed by Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) driving in the third run giving Aponte the three run lead looking for six more outs. The Purple Knights would find a run in the sixth hitting a home run off Aponte and just the second hit off of her making it a two run game. Aponte after the homer would not give up another run and would give up only one more hit finishing the complete game striking out three batters and giving up three hits in her 10th win of the season. The Chargers looked to carry the momentum over and remain perfect in the series and complete the sweep.  

Game 2: 

Game two would need an extra inning to decide a winner. Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) got the start in game two and after giving up a lead off double answered by striking out the side in the first and then again in the second. New Haven, just as they did in game one, would pick up a hit in the first and third inning with Melissa Bike (Stratford, Conn./Saint Joseph) picking up the hit in the first and Cayley Gottschall (Tampa, Fla./Sunlake) a hit in the third. It would be the Purple Knights scoring first, in the third inning after a lead off walk the run would score on a single taking the lead. They would add on another run in the sixth to make it a two run game. Two runs would not be enough as down to their final three outs New Haven made their comeback. Hailey Polisano (Howell, N.J./Howell) led things off with a single down the left field line and after a walk to Cayley Gottschall (Tampa, Fla./Sunlake) it was first and second with no outs and Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran) up and the top of the order on deck. Laforte would advance the runners on a grounder to the right side, moving the tying run to second base in Gottschall. With the pressure on the Chargers capitalized on a passed ball scoring Polisano from third, and in a one run game, Gottschall, the tying run at third. Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) after the passed ball would single through the left side scoring Gottschall and making it 2-2. New Haven would threaten getting a runner to third but were unable to score again heading to the bottom of the seventh. Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) would deal again in the seventh and work out of the pressure of a leadoff walk and the potential winning run advancing to third before getting the final popout to force extras. In the eighth the same part of the lineup that got it done in the seventh was up and worked the bases loaded off two hits and a walk but were unable to get the big hit they needed to crack the game open. To the bottom eight, in a tied game the Purple Knights picked up two hits off Iodice and beat out the throw to score the winning run. New Haven finished with two runs on nine hits and Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) went seven and two third striking out 10 while giving up three runs in the tough loss. 

The split marks the end of the road season for the Chargers and the conclusion of their 10 game road stand. They now return home for their final four home games against Saint Anselm and Southern New Hampshire which will be senior day for the Chargers. The final four games will be crucial to lock up their postseason spot and continue to be strong at home where they are 7-3. Friday against Saint Anselm first pitch is at 3 and on Saturday, first pitch is at 12 all available on the Chargers Sports Network and NE10 Now.