Murfreesboro, North Carolina. – After watching the weather all week and battling the elements, the University of New Haven Softball team made the road trip to North Carolina to open up their 2023 season for an opening day double header for a pair of midday games, with their opener against Chowan in game one followed by completing their day against Bowie State. The Chargers' lifetime against Chowan were 2-0 when the two teams met in 2010 with the Chargers sweeping with a 9-1 win followed by a 5-1 win. The matchup against the Bulldogs marked the first time the two programs met in history.
Game 1: vs Chowan
Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) opened up the season for the Chargers with a leadoff single down the left field line to get the Chargers bats going in the 1st. The freshman then followed the single up by stealing second base before stealing third getting into scoring position. Chenet would however be stranded at third in the inning, sending the Chargers to the field for the first time and sending Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) to the circle to open up her graduate season. Following a 2022 performance where Iodice went 7-12 posting a 2.48 ERA where she struck out 101 working in 130.0 innings of work. For Iodice, opening the 2023 season, Iodice allowed two walks before settling back into the circle before registering the first out on a sacrifice bunt before striking out the next two batters to send the Chargers back into the box. Just like the first, the Chargers opened up the second with a single off the bat of Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran) into right field. Sophia Piccirilli (Dover, N.H./Winnacunnet) pinch ran for Laforte and stole second base but was stranded in scoring position as the Chargers threatened again but were turned away. Iodice picked up another strikeout in the second, turning Chowan away again. Chowan pushed the first run across in the game in the fourth as the first unearned run came across on an error to give Chowan the lead. In the sixth Chowan struck again pushing three runs across in the inning. After a lead off walk, a stolen base and a single Chowan had runners in scoring position and cashed in off an error and a double to take a 4-0 lead in the game. In the top of the seventh, the Chargers had a look but were not able to string together the key hits when they needed them falling in their opener 4-0. Iodice took the loss, throwing six innings of work giving up one earned run on five hits striking out nine in the performance. Offensively the Chargers had five hits, two coming from the freshman Chenet along with three stolen bases from her.
Game 2:
The Chargers had a short turnaround and had to have a short memory as they returned to the field diamond to take on the Bulldogs of Bowie State looking to bounce back after the loss. In the two programs first ever meeting, Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) took to the circle looking to get the blue and gold in the win column. Aponte in 2022 finished the season going 10-10 posting a 3.64 ERA striking out 60 in 123.0 innings of work. Aponte got the first out of the inning with a fly out before giving up a walk before the Bulldogs pushed the first two runs across in the inning off a two run homerun. Aponte quickly bounced back striking out a pair to end the top of the first bringing up the bats. Kylie Thorpe (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) with one out singled back up the middle and advanced to second on a passed ball. Continuing the aggressive base running Thorpe stole third before being stranded to end the inning. The Bulldogs scored another pair in the second doubling their lead. The Chargers pushed their first run across of the game in the second following a lead off walk to Allison Murai (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline). Murai then stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball putting the pressure on. Murai then came across to score on an Ashley Veillette (Danielson, Conn./Killingly) groundout to put the Chargers on the board. The Bulldogs quickly responded in the third, crossing another run making it a 5-1 game and pushed two across in the fourth making it 7-1. Ashley Veillette (Danielson, Conn./Killingly) answered the call with a two run home run shot to left field scoring Murai who led the inning off with a double to make it a 7-3 game and cut into the Bulldogs lead. Trailing 10-3 entering the seventh, the Chargers and Stephanie SMith led the inning off with a triple down the right field line to get the inning started. Smith then scored on a passed ball making it a 10-4 game which would hold as the final. Aponte took the loss, throwing seven innings of work giving up seven earned runs on nine hits striking out seven in the performance. The offense combined for four runs on seven hits with a two run home run coming off the bat of Ashley Veillette (Danielson, Conn./Killingly).
The Chargers remain in North Carolina and with pending weather plans to play Frostburg State with first pitch at 9:00 AM as the Chargers look to pick up their first win of the trip and of the season. All updates, schedules and post game recaps for the team will be available at Newhavenchargers.com.
