WEST HAVEN, Conn. – In their home stand finale, the University of New Haven softball returned to the diamond battling both the weather and the setting sun on an overcast and damp day on the field. Having played strong during the home stand, the Chargers looked to end the stand strong in a non-conference matchup with the College of Staten Island. 

After earning NE10 rookie of the week following a complete game two-hit shutout against Saint Michale's College, freshman pitcher Skylar Griffin (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) got the nod in the series opener coming off her dominant performance against the Purple Knights. The Dolphins scored first pushing an unearned run across in the inning off Griffin. After the first Griffin settled right into the circle and went to work right where she left off from the Saint Michael's game retiring the next eight Dolphins in order. The Chargers seeing Griffin's work in the circle responded in the third as Ashley Veisz (Robbinsville,N.J./Robbinsville) led the inning off by wearing a pitch reaching first. Maeve Lougheed (Audobon, N.J./Audobon) followed up Veisz wearing a pitch, by singling into center field setting up two on and no outs. After Hailey Polisano (Howell, N.J./Howell) reached on a fielders choice it set up Lougheed on second, Polisano on first, with one out in the third, and the top of the order up for the blue and gold. Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) who entered the series leading the Chargers offense with a team-best average and showed why she was hitting out of the leadoff spot doubling to left field scoring Lougheed from second as Polisano would come on to score on the throw as Chenet advanced to third on the throw. With the lead New Haven headed into the fourth as the Dolphins responded with the tying run in the inning off two hits tagging the first earned run off of Griffin. After that Griffin slammed the door on the Dolphins. The offense for the Chargers responded after the Dolphins tied the game in the fourth scoring another two in the inning taking the lead and never looking back. That inning was just the beginning as New Haven would in total score nine runs off eleven hits driving in five runs. The Chargers added a fifth run in the fifth after the top of the order and Bella Chenet (Plantation, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) singled with one out before coming around to score off an error. The sixth inning saw the Chargers plate another four runs two coming off Hailey Polisano (Howell, N.J./Howell)s's bat and another off Chenet and Thorpe's bat. With the six-run lead, Staten Island scored a final run in the seventh off a sacrifice fly, but Griffin would slam the door finally closing out her complete game. Griffin threw the complete game giving up five hits and three runs, only two earned while striking out one in the outing. The bats combined for 11 hits and nine runs, with Chenet and Polisano both driving in two runs in the game. 

With the dominant performance in the circle and in the batter's box, New Haven turned to Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) to dominate in the circle as the Chargers went for the series sweep. With the mist coming down Iodice worked in the first inning to get the circle the way she wanted it to be. In the top of the first, the Dolphins scored first just like they did in game one after a lead-off walk to take the lead. Once Iodice found her footing and got the circle the way she wanted it to be, she began to shut the door on the Dolphins. Iodice ended the first with back-to-back strikeouts and that was the beginning for Iodice. Those opening strikeouts would be a part of her seven strikeouts performance on the afternoon. The Charger's bats were held quiet for the first four innings, but after the game-one win that saw the bats explode for 11 hits it was a matter of time and the fifth inning was that inning. Stephanie Smith (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Catholic) with one out in the inning got the inning started with a single to left and that was just the beginning. Both Polisano and Meg Anderson (Cranston, R.I./Cranston) walked on four pitches bringing Olivia Roberto (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun) up to the box. After Roberto saw ball one outside, the home plate umpire warned the Staten Island head coach about the comments. Roberto then saw ball two outside and the umpire turned and ejected the Dolphin's head coach. After the emotions began to return to normal with Roberto facing a 2-0 count and the bases loaded Roberto continued to battle in the box before drawing a walk that brought in Smith from third to tie the game at one. After Roberto walked, Halle Frederick (Green Lane, Pa./Quakertown) drew a walk that saw the Chargers take their first lead. Once the gates were open, the Chargers kept running as Lougheed drove in a pair with a single before Veisz tripled clearing the bases and making it a 6-1 game. With that lead, Iodice did the rest shutting down the Dolphins and closing out the game for her fourth win of the season. Iodice threw seven innings of two-hit, one-run, unearned, innings striking out seven in the performance. The offense combined for six runs on four hits drawing eight walks in the 6-1 win.

The sweep of the Dolphins wraps up the Charger's homestand where the team went 4-4 in the four series. The team now prepares for a three-series road trip that leads off with a meeting against another Dolphins team as the Chargers take on the Dolphins of Le Moyne in an NE10 conference matchup. New Haven begins their road trip on Friday, April 7 with first pitch in Syracuse coming at 12:30 p.m. All updates, schedules, and post-game recaps for the team will be available at Newhavenchargers.com.