Coming off a tough series against Central Connecticut State University, the Chargers looked to bounce back in a six game week. New Haven faced off against the University of Rhode Island (URI) Rams in a two game series, followed by a single game against Yale and capped off the slate with a three game series against the Mercyhurst University Lakers. The Chargers struggled and fell short in both matchups against URI and Yale, but came back to split the start of their series with Mercyhurst.
In their first matchup against the URI Rams, the Chargers battled closely but fell short 4-3.
Scoring started with a hit from Chargers’second baseman Kylie Thorpe, which led to a run scored by shortstop Bri Pellicone off an error by the Rams’ right fielder and gave the Chargers an early 1-0 lead in the first. The Rams followed with a run hit in by Becca Zawistowski, tying the score 1-1. The matchup didn’t see much action until the third inning, when Chargers’ right fielder Jessica Petit reached on a throwing error by Rams’ shortstop Giuliana Ialongo. The error led to a run and gave the Chargers a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth, the Rams tied it up with a single, and ran off the bat of Katie Knarr. The Rams continued their run in the fourth with a run brought in by Ialongo, giving URI their first lead of the matchup. The Rams didn’t stop there and found another run in the fifth inning, this time from a sacrifice fly out from Brooke Fairbanks, giving URI a 4-2 lead. The Chargers tried to claw back, but fell short with only one more run, brought in by pinch hitter Marzia Johnson off a line drive single to right field.
In the second game, the Chargers struggled offensively, and could not find a rhythm throughout the contest. The Rams jumped out to an early two-run lead, from a two RBI hit off the bat of Rayah Snyder. The Chargers weren’t able to match the score, and the Rams continued to score in the third inning with an RBI double from Snyder, which led to a 3-0 win for the Rams.
The Chargers returned home to face cross-town rival Yale University, but the Bulldogs quickly took control with a five-run first inning. Yale continued to add to their score after strong hitting from Elena Ohe and Kaitlyn Oikle, finishing with 15 hits and building an 8-0 lead before the Chargers got on the board. New Haven’s lone run came in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Petit, but the offense was limited to just four hits overall. Yale’s Ellie Joseph earned the win with four shutout innings as the Chargers fell 8-1.
For their final series of the week’s slate, the Chargers hosted the Mercyhurst Lakers. In their first game, both teams struggled to find any real momentum and were unable to score. The Chargers ended up striking first and hard with a huge fourth inning. Their scoring spree started with a three RBI double off the bat of left fielder Gianna Haniff. The scoring continued as third baseman Allison Murai hit a single that brought in Haniff and gave the Chargers a 4-0 lead. This cemented the game, and the Chargers won 4-0.
In the second game of the series, New Haven jumped out to an early lead, but couldn’t keep pace with Mercyhurst’s explosive offense, and lost 10–5. The Chargers struck first in the opening inning with RBI doubles from catcher Brianna Trueman and Petit to take a 2–1 lead, but Mercyhurst responded with a five-run second inning that shifted the momentum. Gabriella DeLuca led the way for the Lakers, finishing with three hits and six RBIs, including a two-run homer in the sixth. New Haven showed some fight late, plating three runs in the sixth behind heads-up baserunning and an RBI single from Bella Chenet, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome as the Chargers dropped game two at home.
After the series of games, the Chargers have an overall record of 8-30 and 6-14 in conference play. New Haven is set to face the Yale University Bulldogs in a two-game series, followed by a three-game set against the Stonehill College Skyhawks before their final series of the season against the College of Holy Cross Crusaders. First pitch against the Bulldogs is on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in New Haven, Conn. For more information, visit NewHavenChargers.com.
