WORCESTER, Mass. – After splitting their NE10 conference opener on Friday with the Yellowjackets of American International, the University of New Haven Softball returned to Massachusetts to take on the Greyhounds of Assumption University for their second straight conference double header and their final road game before the Chargers get to open up their season in West Haven. A pair of games that turned into pitching duels also gave the fans some extra inning softball between the Chargers and Greyhounds.

The Greyhounds scored to open up the game in the first capitalizing on a walk and a sharp line drive on the infield to take the early lead. Both starting pitchers, Aponte for the Chargers and Waldron for the Greyhounds, began to duel hanging up zeros and keeping runners off the base paths and the bats in the dugouts. In the fourth Ashley Veillette (Danielson, Conn./Killingly) opened the inning off with a triple to the left-center gap putting the Charger's fourth baserunner on of the game. Sophia Piccirilli (Dover, N.H./Winnacunnet) pinch-ran for Veillette and scored on the very next play. Meg Anderson's (Cranston, R.I./Cranston) bat stayed red hot as she flew one out to left field deep enough for Piccirilli to tag and score tying the game at one after four. The blue and gold struck an inning later as Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) took things into her own hands.  Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) with one out singled to left field, and advanced to second on Kylie Thorpe's (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) grounder on the infield. With two away and one on, Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) drove a pitch to left field and with Chenets speed it was deep enough to score her and give New Haven their first lead of the afternoon. Aponte did it with the bat and then finished it in the circle, getting Assumption to go three up three down in the fifth. Aponte allowed one hit in the sixth before the defense stepped up in the seventh to tag out Gregoire to end the game locking in the 2-1 win for the Chargers. Aponte who came up with the bat driving in the game-winning run in the fifth threw seven innings of three hits giving up only one run on three hits and striking out one. The offense combined for two runs on six hits with Aponte's hit in the fifth being the difference maker. 

Riding the high of their game-one win and second win in a row, the blue and gold looked to complete the sweep against the Greyhounds with Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) in the circle. The first four innings turned into a pitching duel similar to game one as Iodice and Tassone went toe to toe and pitch to pitch. Through the first four, the two hung up zeros with New Haven getting the only two hits through four. Entering the fifth the blue and gold jumped out of the gate as Ashley Veisz (Robbinsville,N.J./Robbinsville) led the inning off with a single. Aaliyah Amidon (Ledyard, Conn./Ledyard) had no intentions of leaving the zero on the board for the Chargers and changed that with one swing of the bat with a high fly ball to left, clearing the left field, and putting two runs on the board to give New Haven the two-run lead. Assumption answered Amidon's homerun scoring two runs in the home fifth tying the game back up. After a scoreless sixth, late-inning drama came as both teams would score. With one out, Chenet singled before advancing to third on Selena Aponte's (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) single to right with two outs. Runners at the corners and two away, Hallie Frederick singled to center scoring Chenet before Aponte was thrown out at home trying to score from first. The Greyhounds scored one in the seventh to tie things back up forcing extras and giving the fans free softball. With one out in the eighth, Veisz doubled to center before advancing to third on a throwing error. Aaliyah Amidon (Ledyard, Conn./Ledyard) came back to the plate with a runner on and after coming up with the two-run home run in the fifth, Amidon came up again singling into right scoring Veisz to retake the lead. With the one-run lead, Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) got the Greyhounds to fly out, pop up and ground out as the defense recorded the three outs to secure the win and complete the sweep of Assumption. Aaliyah Amidon (Ledyard, Conn./Ledyard) driving in three of the Charger's four runs on her two-for-four afternoon. The offense combined for four runs on 12 hits. Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) threw eight innings of three-run four-hit softball striking out 10 in the win.     

With the opening road trip complete of the season, the Chargers return home and open up their season from West Haven as the team prepares to host Molloy with a Tuesday night doubleheader. After 18 games straight on the road, New Haven gets to play on their home field as they host the Lions. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. All updates, schedules, and post-game recaps for the team will be available at Newhavenchargers.com.