WEST HAVEN, Conn. – In their final home game of the year the New Haven softball team hosted the Penmen from Southern New Hampshire University. It was a must win for the Chargers to keep their postseason and added on top the emotions were high with it being senior night. Before the game the Chargers honored their seven seniors in a pregame ceremony. The seven seniors honored were Emily Bump (Stratford, Conn./Lauralton Hall), Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee), Cayley Gottschall (Tampa, Fla./Sunlake), Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange), Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph), Melissa Bike (Stratford, Conn./Saint Joseph), and Briana Clementi (Morganville, N.J./Colts Neck) all for their time in the blue and gold. 

Preview: 

Lifetime the series has been led by the Chargers. In 46 previous meetings New Haven leads 33-13, with the Chargers in 2016 hosting the nationally ranked Penmen splitting with them. New Haven entered off a pair of losses to Saint Anselm College. The Chargers on the season sat 17-21 and 11-13 in the conference which placed them eighth and making their final push for the postseason. Southern New Hampshire entered off a tie against Southern the day before that placed them fourth in the conference with a 22-19-1 record overall and 12-9-1 in the conference.

Game 1:

Following the senior day ceremonies it was the seven seniors in the starting line up along with Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) in the circle. It was the Penmen scoring in the first on an error pushing one run across to take the one run lead. New Haven would pick up their first hit of the contest with a lead off single by Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) who singled up the middle and would advance to second on a Melissa Bike (Stratford, Conn./Saint Joseph) sac bunt before being stranded in the inning. Aponte would pick up back to back strikeouts in the second inning before SNHU scored two more runs. New Haven would cut into the lead in the fourth inning off the bat of Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph). Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) drew a one out walk and Hillman wasted no time finding the gap in left field to score Simpson on the stand up double making it 3-1. Hillman would answer the call again in the sixth driving in the second Chargers run of the game. With the bases loaded following a Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) and Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) single and Melissa Bike (Stratford, Conn./Saint Joseph) reaching on an error the bases were loaded for Hillman. Hillman got under the pitch but drove it deep enough to left field to score Case from third knocking in her second run of the game making it 4-2. SNHU would score one more run in the seventh and would go on to beat New Haven 5-2. New Haven's two runs came on six hits and two errors. 

Game 2: 

Following the game one loss, eyes turned to the score of the Southern-Saint Anslem game going on which ended in a 1-0 win for the Hawks. With the news, New Haven took to the field with the playoffs on the line and Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) in the circle a day after picking up her 100th strikeout of the year. The Penmen capitalized on a first inning error by the Chargers and would get two runs on a two run homer to take the early lead. New Haven would answer back in the second inning pushing a run and cutting the lead to one. Ashley Veisz (Robbinsville,N.J./Robbinsville) led the inning off by doubling to right and would advance to third on Halle Frederick (Green Lane, Pa./Quakertown)s' single into center. Maeve Lougheed (Audobon, N.J./Audobon) opened up the scoring hitting the RBI ground out to score Veisz and make it a 2-1 game. In the third the Penmen scored three on four hits making it a four run game and in fourth would add on another two. New Haven loved the Space Jam and got just that in the fifth. Alex Tenero (Wallingford, Conn./Lyman Hall) led the inning off by singling up the middle followed by Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran) getting hit by a pitch to make it two on and no outs in the inning. After two out Nahtali Simpson (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) broke through the infield and scored the pinch-running Cayley Gottschall (Tampa, Fla./Sunlake) making it 7-2. Step in Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph) who already had two RBI's on her senior day made it even more memorable. On a 2-0 count Hillman turned on one and cleared the left field fence for a three run homer turning the tide and making it a 7-5 game with her one swing of the bat. That score would hold until the seventh with the Chargers down to their final three outs and the top of the order up. Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) on the payoff pitch to her went deep to left and made the game all the closer with her 7th homer of the year making it 7-6. New Haven would get a runner on after Jovanna Hillman (Seymour, Conn./Saint Joseph) singled but would be stranded after the third out ending the comeback for the Chargers. 

With the loss New Haven finished 17-23 overall and 11-15 in the conference to close out the season for the Chargers in their first year under Don Justus. With the departure of the seven seniors the team will look to rebuild with a freshman recruitment class and build upon a returning class that is highlighted by both Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) and Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) who will both return to the circle for the blue and gold in the 2023 season.