LEESBURG, Florida. – Following a day off in the sunshine state, the University of New Haven Softball returned to the diamond rested and recharged ahead of their Thursday afternoon doubleheader with an opening game against Alliance University followed by a matchup with the Crimson Hawks of Indiana University - Pennsylvania, (IUP).  The meeting against Alliance marked the second time the two programs met in history but the first time they met with Alliance's new name, as they were formerly Nyack. The meeting with IUP marked the fourth time the two programs were set to meet with the blue and gold looking to get to .500 against the Crimson Hawks.

Rested up and the bats enjoying the 70-degree weather, the Chargers jumped out to a hot start as Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) continued to be a spark in the leadoff spot. Chenet doubled to lead off the game and quickly advanced to third on a ground ball on the infield. Meg Anderson (Cranston, R.I./Cranston) walked to set up first and third with one away as Sophia Piccirilli (Dover, N.H./Winnacunnet) came on to pinch run for Anderson. With speed on the base paths, head coach Don Justus put pressure on Alliance's defense calling for the double steal. Chenet was caught at home on the play but Piccirilli successfully stole second, keeping a runner in scoring position as the Chargers looked to capitalize early. Halle Frederick (Green Lane, Pa./Quakertown) came to the plate and made Alliance pay tripling to right center bringing Piccirilli home and taking the early one-run lead. Ashley Veillette (Danielson, Conn./Killingly) joined the hit party singling through the left side scoring Frederick and making it a two-run game. Already with two across, Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) helped herself before she headed into the circle doubling to right center scoring Veillette to take the three-run lead. With the lead Aponte went to work in the circle and had to work out of a jam as three Alliance runners reached in the inning but were stranded as Aponte recorded one strikeout and got a ground out and lineout. After a quiet inning and a half, Alliance answered in the bottom of the third scoring a pair off Aponte to cut the lead to one. The Chargers' bats came close but weren't able to find the big inning they were looking for until the sixth when Halle Frederick (Green Lane, Pa./Quakertown) turned on a pitch in the zone doubling down the left field line to start the top of the inning. Veillette drew a walk setting up two on and no outs in the inning. After a pop out by Aponte, Ashley Veisz (Robbinsville,N.J./Robbinsville) joined the hit club singling to center scoring Frederick, and advancing Veillette to second. Olivia Roberto (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun) singled to right. Veillette got waved around by Justus but the throw just beat her denying the run for the Chargers who still had runners at second and third with two outs. Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran) stepped into the batter's box pinch-hitting and made the most of her moment doubling to right center scoring Roberto and Veisz to give New Haven the 6-2 lead. Hailey Polisano (Howell, N.J./Howell) reentered to run for Laforte. Once again, after a Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) walk, Don Justus put the double steal on and the Chargers ran it perfectly, forcing an error on the catcher, allowing Polisano to score and giving New Haven a five-run lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. After a two-run home run, Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) shut the door on Alliance picking up hers and the team's first win of the season. Aponte finished the game throwing seven innings on seven hits giving up four runs, three earned striking out three. The offense combined for 12 hits from nine different players. With the win, the Chargers looked to carry the momentum into their matchup with IUP.

Just as New Haven jumped out early on Alliance in game one, the Crimson Hawks started hot scoring five runs in the first six innings against the blue and gold. The Charger's bats heated up in the sixth. Following her win in the circle in game one, Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) stayed in the lineup as the designated hitter for game two. Aponte led the sixth off with a walk and advanced to second on a fielders choice that Ashley Veillette (Danielson, Conn./Killingly) reached on setting up two on with one out. After Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran) grounded out advancing Aponte and Veillette, it set up two on and two away for Meg Anderson (Cranston, R.I./Cranston) in to pinch hit. Looking for her first hit of the afternoon, Anderson's first hit came at the perfect time, singling up the middle to score the pair and bring new energy to the dugout. Kylie Thorpe (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) followed the single up with one of her own advancing to second on the throw and again setting up second and third with two outs. Hailey Polisano (Howell, N.J./Howell) walked to load the bases, and Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) was patient at the plate drawing back-to-back walks and bringing in a run making it 5-3 still with two outs. With the bases loaded trailing by two with two outs in the sixth Maeve Lougheed (Audobon, N.J./Audobon) cashed in singling to right scoring Thorpe and Polisano tying the game at five. After a long sixth inning that saw the Chargers erase a five-run deficit tying the game up, the Crimson Hawks were patient to start the inning drawing a walk to lead off before advancing on an error. The Crimson Hawks went on to score four in the inning on two hits and forced two errors to retake the lead. The Chargers tried to replicate their sixth-inning magic but came up short dropping game two 9-5 after scoring their five runs all with two outs in the sixth. Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) took the loss in the circle throwing six and third innings giving up nine runs, six earned, on eight hits striking out five. The offense registered five runs on five hits and six walks. 

With the split, the Chargers look to build and keep their bats hot as they head into their final day of games in the sunshine state. The Chargers wrap up their spring break trip with a final doubleheader as the team plays at 10:00 a.m. for their opener against D'Youville before the team gets a rest before they seek revenge against the University of Mary as the two teams square off for the second time as it was the University of Mary that took the first meeting between the two teams. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. before the team begins their return trip to Connecticut. All updates, schedules, and post-game recaps for the team will be available at Newhavenchargers.com.