WEST HAVEN, Conn. – After opening day on Tuesday, the University of New Haven Softball team returned to the diamond on Thursday afternoon for an NE10 doubleheader against the Ravens of Franklin Pierce. After moving the games up from the weekend the Chargers on a day of rest looked to improve upon their 3-1 record in conference play with their weekday doubleheader.
Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) got the nod in game one of the doubleheader, and opened the inning off with a strikeout and ended the inning via the strikeout apart of a three-strikeout inning to bring the New Haven bats up in the home first. Chenet kept her bat hot singling to open up the game for the leadoff runner aboard. Looking to play small ball Kylie Thorpe (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) dropped the bunt down as Chenet advanced to third on the play. Thorpe reached first on an error by the Ravens setting up first and third with no outs. Thorpe then immediately stole second to put two on in scoring position to threaten early. Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) walked to load the bases bringing up Meg Anderson (Cranston, R.I./Cranston) with no outs. Anderson turned on a pitch pulling it down the line into left scoring Chenet from third and Thorpe from second to take the early lead. Aponte advanced to third on the single. The blue and gold would reload the bases after Aaliyah Amidon's (Ledyard, Conn./Ledyard) walk but would leave the bases loaded up by two of Anderson's hit. After holding the Ravens scoreless in the second the Chargers added on again in the second. Hailey Polisano (Howell, N.J./Howell) led the inning off with a single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Turning over to the top of the order Chenet singled to right advancing Polisano to third for runners at the corners. With a designed play Chenet went to steal second and intentionally got caught in the pickle drawing the attention of the Ravens for Polisano to score the third run before she was tagged out. With the now three-run lead, they turned it back over to Aponte. Franklin Pierce found their first run in the third before scoring three in the fifth taking a one-run lead. In the sixth Franklin Pierce added a fifth run that hold on to win taking game one by a score of 5-3. Aponte in the loss threw four innings giving up four runs on seven hits and striking out four. The Charger's three runs came on six hits and five walks leaving seven on the pond.
After a strong two innings of relief by Skylar Griffin (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) and following her performance against Molloy she got the nod to start game two in the circle for the Chargers looking to split the series against the Ravens. The Chargers were the first on the board in the second inning. Amidon led the inning off with a walk before advancing on a ground ball by Skylar Griffin (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur). Amidon scored on the next at-bat as Maeve Lougheed (Audobon, N.J./Audobon) singled to short scoring Amidon from second putting the blue and gold up one. Polisano drew a walk advancing Lougheed to second. Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) stayed red hot finding the gap on the left side to load the bases. Kylie Thorpe (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) plated two, with her single to left scoring Polisano and Lougheed making it a three-run game. The Ravens however flew back into the game plating three and tying the game at three, as Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) came on in relief for the blue and gold. Aaliyah Amidon (Ledyard, Conn./Ledyard) answered the Charger's call in the third with one swing of the bat. After Ashley Veillette's (Danielson, Conn./Killingly) single up the middle, Aaliyah Amidon (Ledyard, Conn./Ledyard) for the third time this season cleared the outfield fence for a two-run home run to take back the lead and a lead the Chargers never looked back from. Meg Anderson (Cranston, R.I./Cranston) joined the long ball club in the sixth with a pinch-hit solo homerun to extend the Charger's lead with their second home run of the afternoon. Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) grounded the Ravens working out of a jam in the seventh giving up one run with the bases loaded to secure the win in the circle for her and the team's win, winning 6-4 to split the series. Iodice in relief threw four and a third innings giving up one run on five hits and striking out a pair as both Amidon and Anderson went deep in the game to lead the win for New Haven
New Haven now 4-1 in the conference looks to keep things going with another conference doubleheader against the Purple Knights of Saint Michael's College on Sunday. First pitch of the doubleheader against the Purple Knights comes at 12:00 p.m. on the Charger Sports Network and NE10 NOW and all updates, schedules, and post-game recaps for the team will be available at Newhavenchargers.com.
