WEST HAVEN, Conn. - With the highly anticipated Elm City Rivalry at center stage, the University of New Haven Softball team moved up their doubled header against the Owls of Southern Connecticut State University to play in the sunshine on a Friday afternoon that saw temperatures feel like it was summer. Without a cloud in the sky the battle for the Elm City as Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) in her final regular season meeting with the Owls took the circle.

In what would become a pitching duel saw both offenses combine for four hits and five base runners through five innings of work. Selena Aponte (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) was dueling from the circle sitting down the first five Owls she faced in order before she gave up her first walk before stranding the runner. Aponte restarted her trend, sitting down eight in a row before the Owls picked up two hits in the fifth before Aponte posted another zero on the scoreboard. In the sixth it was the Owls breaking the scoring drought plating a pair off of three hits in the inning to take the lead. In the top of the seventh, the Owls added three more runs of insurance taking a 5-0 lead that would go on to hold and win game 1 by a final of 5-0. In the loss Aponte threw seven innings giving up five runs, two earned on nine hits striking out one in the outing. The Chargers bats combined for three hits and two walks. Dropping game one, the blue and gold looked to ride off the energy of the Women's Lacrosse win from the night before and feed off the energy of the baseball team that walked past the field ahead of their opener against the Owls as well.

Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) got the nod in game two to deal from the circle. In her last meeting with the Owls Iodice threw six innings giving up two earned runs in a 3-2 loss at Pelz Field. Iodice sat down the Owls in the first in order picking up her first strikeout of the afternoon. The Chargers' bats responded as Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) led the inning off with a double to left before stealing third on the next pitch. Olivia Roberto (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun) drove Chenet home putting the ball in play on the right side giving New Haven their first lead of the afternoon. With the lead, Iodice went back to work in the circle once again, sitting the Owls down in order and sitting the first six batters in a row down. Iodice gave up her first base runner in the third via a two out walk before getting a groundout to end the inning stranding the runner. In the fourth, Southern scored a run to tie the game back at one scoring their run on two hits and forcing two errors on the Chargers. That tie did not last long, as the Chargers retook the lead in the fourth. Ashley Veisz (Robbinsville,N.J./Robbinsville) with one out singled to left and advanced to second as Aaliyah Amidon (Ledyard, Conn./Ledyard) drew a walk setting up two on and one away. Hailey Laforte (Milford, Conn./Foran) got the call to pinch hit and with the pressure on the line, she delivered singling through the gap on the right side scoring Veisz from second taking a 2-1 lead. One run was not enough as Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) singled down the left field line scoring Amidon and Laforte taking a three run lead making it 4-1. With that lead, Iodice dealt in the circle cruising through the Owls lineup not allowing another hit with the only way the Owls got on base with a pair of walks. Iodice ended the game striking out the final Owl with a strikeout looking, securing New Haven's 4-1 win and securing the split with the Owls over the Elm City. Iodice in the win threw seven innings of two hit one unearned run on route to striking out seven batters in the performance. Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) led the offense driving in two runs as the bats combined for seven hits and one walk driving in four runs.

New Haven takes to the road next to take on Post University in their second to last non-conference doubleheader of the season. Looking to improve their overall schedule and start a packed week of softball strong with first pitch between the Chargers and Eagles on Monday, April 27th at 12:00 p.m. to start a week filled with six games for the blue and gold on the diamond. All updates, schedules, post-game recaps for the team and all of New Haven Athletics available at Newhavenchargers.com