SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Fifteen games into the season, and their major traveling complete, the University of New Haven Softball team opened up their Northeast 10 (NE10) Conference schedule with a doubleheader just up I-91 taking on the Yellowjackets of American International College. After anticipated rain for Saturday, the teams rescheduled to play a day earlier on a spring day that topped with temperatures in the mid-50s. After a pair of narrow losses in New Jersey against Caldwell, the blue and gold looked to beat the Yellowjackets and begin their conference play strong.

In the opener, Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) got the nod in the circle as Aponte and her counterpart from AIC worked two scoreless innings to open up the game stranding runners on the basepaths to hang zeros on the scoreboard. In the top of the third, Hailey Polisano (Howell, N.J./Howell) reached with one out in the inning after taking on for the team and wearing a pitch. Polisano quickly shook off the hit and stole a second advancing into scoring position for the Chargers. With Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) in the box, it was only a matter of time before she found some green and did just that in right field singling and scoring Polisano from second to take the early lead. After hanging a zero in the third Aponte gave up her first run in the fourth as AIC tied the game at one run apiece. In the sixth, Aponte started the inning by helping herself with a single to left center before having Stephanie Smith (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Catholic) pinch run for her. After a Hallie Frederick groundball fielders choice, Ashley Veillette (Danielson, Conn./Killingly) singled to right setting up runners at the corner and one out. Ashley Veisz (Robbinsville,N.J./Robbinsville) singled on the infield scoring Frederick and giving New Haven the lead of 2-1. Unfortunately, the Yellowjackets responded in the home sixth scoring two runs and taking their first lead that would hold on to win 3-2 to take the opener against the Chargers. Aponte in the loss threw six innings giving up three runs on seven hits and striking out four. The bats of the blue and gold combined for two runs on seven hits with three walks.

Heading into game two the Chargers looked to get going early, taking an early lead and never looking back. In the first inning, the Charger's offense got going immediately. After Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) flew out to the left-center just missing the pitch and the wind blowing out the inning was set for fireworks. Kylie Thorpe (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) singled on the infield to reach. After advancing to second on a past ball she would reach third on Selena Aponte's (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) grounder to the second baseman. With runners at the corners, Ashley Veisz (Robbinsville,N.J./Robbinsville) stepped into the box after Hallie Frederick walked. With the wind blowing out, Veisz and turning on a pitch in the zone and cleared the left-field fence clearing the bases and giving New Haven the early three-run lead. With the bases cleared Maeve Lougheed (Audobon, N.J./Audobon) got the inning going again doubling to left-center. Aaliyah Amidon (Ledyard, Conn./Ledyard) came up to bat and brought Lougheed and herself around clearing the left-field fence as the Chargers homered for the second time in the inning with Amidons two-run homerun taking the 5-0 lead. In the home first trailing by five, the Yellowjackets rallied chasing Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) after a third of an inning tying the game at five after the first. Skylar Griffin (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) came on in the first to close out the inning getting the last two outs needed going into the second. The Yellowjackets tallied one more run on the second to take the 6-5 lead. Entering the fifth New Haven was hunting one run to tie and two to win and with one swing of the bat, Kylie Thorpe (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) cleared the left field fence tying the game and bringing life into the New haven dugout. Tied at six entering the sixth the Chargers got their work done with two outs in the inning after Olivia Roberto (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun) doubled and Stephanie Smith (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Catholic) pinch-ran for Roberto. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Smith scored off Bella Chenet's (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) single up the middle to retake the lead. Skylar Griffin (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) closed out the game by getting the last six outs and picking up her first collegiate win in the circle throwing six and two-thirds of one run six-hit softball striking out a pair. The bats combined for seven runs on 10 hits with three home runs in the game.

With the split, the Chargers look to head into their second conference road series on a high following the offensive explosion in game two. The Chargers will be off on Saturday due to weather before returning to Massachusetts and the diamond on Sunday, March 26 when the blue and gold travel to Assumption to take on the Greyhounds in doubleheader action. All updates, schedules, and post-game recaps for the team will be available at Newhavenchargers.com.