WEST HAVEN, Conn. – With their final regular season home series of the season, the University of New Haven Softball team welcomed the conference leading, Adelphi University Panthers as New Haven looked to wrap up their home campaign strong and build as they finish the regular season on the road.
Breanna Kinney (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) got the start in game one after a strong start against the Purple Knights of Bridgeport and led off where she left off against the Purple Knights, finding rythme and matching zeros with the Panthers ace turning away each others offenses along with strong defenses making big plays to keep everyone scoreless through four innings. The Panthers however broke through in the fifth inning were they would push across seven runs, forcing Kinney out of the game as Skylar Griffin (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) came on and got the final two outs of the inning and would hang zeros for the remainder of the game. Brianna Trueman (Trout Run, Pa./Montoursville Area)s bat continued to stay hot as she would pick up a single in each of her three at bats including her third single of the afternoon in the seventh singling to lead off. Meg Anderson (Cranston, R.I./Cranston) stepped into the box and wasted no time driving in her 12 RBI of the season as Trueman turned on the jets scoring from first on the double by Anderson pushing the Chargers first run across but would fall by the final of 7-1. New Haven looking to split turned to Viana McKinley (North Chesterfield, Va./Monacan) to slow the Panthers bats. McKinley went right to work against the Panthers sitting the Panthers down in order after a leadoff single. McKinley would throw four scoreless innings striking out a pair of Panthers through that time but Adelphi broke through in the fifth plating a pair and taking the lead. New Haven loaded the bases but a popout in foul territory left them loaded as it remained a two run game for McKinley. The Panthers would add three in the sixth as Skylar Griffin (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) came on in relief to get the final two outs of the inning as New Havennow trailed by five. A sixth run came across in the top of the seventh inning for the Panthers. Halle Frederick (Green Lane, Pa./Quakertown) got things started with a double off the wall in left field before Olivia Roberto (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun) drove her in with a single scoring the Chargers first run of the game, as they would fall 6-1 in game two.
Looking to bounce back the Chargers now finish their regular season on the road as they first travel to Colchester, Vermont to take on the Purple Knights of Saint Michael's College on Friday, April 26. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. between the Purple Knights and Chargers, and all updates, schedules, and post-game recaps for the team will be available at Newhavenchargers.com.
