CALDWELL, New Jersey. – In their return from Florida, the University of New Haven Softball team took a shorter trip to New Jersey for a midweek doubleheader against the Cougars of Caldwell University. After picking up a pair of wins in Florida the Chargers looked to stay red hot and get back on the winning streak closer to home with their conference schedule right around the corner. Lifetime the Chargers are 9-13 against the Cougars with the chance to get the series closer the blue and gold took to the diamond on a spring-like day in March. 

The Chargers in the first pick up two hits in the first with a pair of singles first by Maeve Lougheed (Audobon, N.J./Audobon) before she advanced to second on Meg Anderson's (Cranston, R.I./Cranston) single to put two on in the first. The pair would be stranded in the top of the inning as Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) entered the circle for the blue and gold, hunting for her second win in the circle, in the bottom half of the first. The Cougars pushed the first run across after a lead-off walk that would come around to score after a stolen base and a groundout on the infield to take the one-run lead. The Cougars would add four more runs in the second to take a five-run leading heading into the third as the bats of the Chargers looked to find some grass out in the outfield. In the third, the breakthrough the Chargers needed came as Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) led the inning off with a single to center before advancing to second on an error. After Lougheed walked setting up two on with no outs the team's best bat, Meg Anderson (Cranston, R.I./Cranston), came to the plate looking to get the blue and gold on the board. Anderson did what she had been doing during her time in Florida and found some green in the outfield doubling to right scoring Chenet and advancing Lougheed to third putting the Chargers on the board and looking for more. With Aponte up, she looked to help herself and did just that singling to center scoring Lougheed, and advancing the pinch-running Sophia Piccirilli (Dover, N.H./Winnacunnet) to third. With runners at the corner with no outs, Ashley Veillette (Danielson, Conn./Killingly) singled to right as Aponte went first to third on the play and scored Piccirilli making it five to three.  Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran) lifted one deep enough on the infield to allow Aponte to tag and score making it a one-run game, 5-4 in favor of the Cougars. After the third, both pitchers would dominate from the circle shutting the bats down. Heading into the seventh trailing by one the Chargers looked for more of their magic to tie and take the lead. New Haven got a runner on in the inning but weren't able to get the big hit to score the run dropping the opener 5-4. Aponte went six innings giving up five runs on 10 hits striking out one in the loss as the offense scored their four runs in the big third inning on eight hits and one walk. 

Heading into the second game the Chargers looked to bounce back and having got close in the first game the bats looked to start hot. As the sun set, both teams' bats began to cool off as in the first both teams were held scoreless. Caldwell were first on the board scoring a run in the second to take the early lead. The third was yet another scoreless inning before New Haven found their green. Maeve Lougheed (Audobon, N.J./Audobon) led the inning off with a single up the middle. Advancing to second on a hit on the infield, Lougheed would use her speed to come around and score on Ashley Veillette's (Danielson, Conn./Killingly) single up the middle to tie the game at one apiece. That tie would not last as Caldwell would answer with a pair in the home half before going on to score two in the fifth and another in the sixth as they would close out the second game knocking off New Haven 6-1. Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) threw six innings giving up six runs, five earned, on 13 hits striking out four. The offense combined for one run on three hits. 

Following the losses, the Chargers return home for a short time as they prepare to open up the Northeast 10 conference play with a pair of weekend doubleheaders. The Chargers travel to Springfield MA, to take on the Yellowjackets on Saturday, March 24 with first pitch scheduled for 2:30 p.m. before the Massachusetts road trip continues as the team heads to Worcester for a meeting with the Greyhounds of Assumption on Sunday, March 25 with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m. All updates, schedules, and post-game recaps for the team will be available at Newhavenchargers.com.