The New Haven softball team fought hard in their Wednesday double header at the team’s home opener against Caldwell University, but took two losses, 14-9 and 10-1.
Over spring break, the team played 10 games in five days in Winter Haven, Fla. and finished the trip winning just two of those games to begin the season with a record of 2-8.
In game one of the Caldwell doubleheader, New Haven sent right-handed pitcher Breanna Kinney to the mound. Kinney finished the game with a whopping 151 pitches as she pitched 7.1 innings and allowed 15 hits on nine earned runs with three walks and six strikeouts.
Caldwell struck first in the top of the first inning after Grace Vondracek singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Vondracek then stole third and came around to score on a single into right-center field by shortstop Ashleigh Tavaska.
New Haven came to bat in the bottom of the first and responded with five runs to put themselves ahead. Center fielder Bella Chenet was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and she reached third base after an error by Amanda Batista, which gave the Chargers two runners on base with no outs. Chenet then scored on another error that tied the game at one before shortstop Lauren Haversat lined a two-run single into right field to give the Chargers their first lead of the game.
Kylie Thorpe kept the line moving with a single and a stolen base to put two runners in scoring position. Meg Anderson made it a three-run game with a single through the right side before Ashley Veisz ripped a double to left field that brought Anderson around to make it a 5-1 game.
Caldwell answered back with five runs of their own in the top of the second to turn it into a 6-5 Cougars lead. They added another run in the third on a triple by Vondracek to take a two-run lead.
Right fielder Olivia Roberto brought New Haven back within one with an RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth to score Veisz. In the fifth, Anderson tied the game at seven with a double into left-center field that brought Thorpe around to score and tie the game at seven going into the late innings.
Caldwell answered with another run in the top of the sixth with an RBI single from catcher Taylor Quinn that allowed Batista to score and give them a 8-7 lead.
Down to their last at-bat, the Chargers tied the game at eight and forced extra innings after Batista allowed Veisz to reach base with a throwing error that allowed catcher Halle Frederick to score, who reached on an error to lead off the inning. Caldwell’s defense kept New Haven in the game as they committed five errors and allowed five unearned runs to score.
The Cougars scored six in the top of the eighth, which proved to be the difference as they closed out the game with a 14-9 win.
Right-handed pitcher Viana McKinley got the ball for the Chargers in game two. She pitched three innings and allowed six hits on three earned runs and struck out one on her way to receiving the loss. The defense struggled for New Haven as they committed three errors that brought five runs around to score.
Caldwell struck first again as Tavaska opened the scoring with a double down the right field line. Right fielder Brooke Freschi made it a two-run game in the top of the first with an infield single.
The Chargers only run of the game came in the bottom of the first on a single from Haversat that scored Chenet.
Caldwell broke the game open in the second with a three-run home run from Tavaska before adding three more runs in the third and two more in the fifth on a home run from Alex Colon, which gave the Cougars a 10-1 lead. The game was called after five innings.
New Haven will go on the road to Rockville Centre, N.Y. for a Tuesday matchup with Molloy University. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. as the Chargers look to get back in the win column before they open Northeast-10 conference play on Friday against American International College.
For more information about the upcoming schedule, please visit NewHavenChargers.com.
