This week, the Chargers hit the road again to face off against the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies, as well as their NEC rivals, the Wagner College Seahawks.
On Tuesday, UConn struck early, with shortstop Cat Petteys singling to center field to bring in Kai Kibling, followed by an RBI from right fielder Kai Breslin to take a 2‑0 lead. The second inning was quiet, but the third inning saw UConn’s offense erupt, scoring eight more runs through key hits and home runs to reach 12‑0. In the fourth, the Huskies added five more runs, pushing the lead to 17‑0 and triggering the NCAA Division I mercy rule, which ends a game early when a team leads by eight or more runs after five innings.
The Chargers returned to face the UConn Huskies in game two, determined to stay competitive after a lopsided first game. Unlike the earlier matchup, this contest was much closer, with both teams trading runs early. UConn jumped ahead with early RBIs from Petteys, Kaitlyn Breslin and Caylee De Meo to take a 3‑0 lead. New Haven responded in the second inning, scoring five runs on timely hits from shortstop Bri Pellicone, catcher Jaclyn Piazza and designated hitter Brianna Trueman to take a 5‑3 advantage. The Huskies quickly tied it with homers from Ava Calciano, Haley Coupal and Petteys, taking a 7‑5 lead. In the third and fifth innings, UConn added more runs with key hits from Kaitlyn Kibling, Savannah Ring and Emma Willers to extend the lead to 11‑6. New Haven kept fighting, scoring twice in the sixth, but late homers from Breslin and Willers helped UConn secure a 15‑8 win. Unlike the mercy-rule shut out in game one, the Chargers stayed competitive throughout, forcing UConn to earn the victory at every inning.
The next day, the Chargers took on the Fairfield University Stags. The matchup was closely contested, with both teams trading hits early. The Stags struck first in the second inning, as Lauren Osland tripled to send Delaney Whieldon home, giving Fairfield a 1‑0 lead. After a scoreless third inning, the Stags added another run in the fourth on a single by Sarah Bielski, which drove in Anna Paravati to make it 2‑0. The Chargers responded in the sixth inning, beginning their comeback with second baseman Kylie Thorpe who singled up the middle to bring first baseman Lucia Ceccarelli home for their first run. Shortly after, Pellicone’s hit brought in third baseman Allison Murai adding another run to tie the game at 2‑2 heading into the seventh and final inning. At the top of the seventh, with no one on base and no outs, Trueman led off for the Chargers with a homer to left field, giving New Haven a 3‑2 lead and the eventual win, as the Stags were unable to respond.
For the final series of the week, the Chargers hit the road to Staten Island, NY to take on the Wagner College Seahawks. After a three-day break and a big win over Fairfield University, the Chargers struggled to find offense, as Wagner jumped out to early leads in both games. In the first matchup, Alayna Giampolo’s RBI in the fifth and Sydnie Trujillo’s single in the sixth gave the Seahawks a 2-0 win. In the second game, Wagner broke things open with a three-run third inning that led them to a 3-0 victory. On Sunday, the Chargers looked for a comeback in game three, but fell short 8-2. New Haven scored early, putting up the first run of the game after an RBI double from right fielder Jessica Petit brought home Piazza. Wagner answered back quickly and added a run of their own to tie the score at one. The Seahawks found a rhythm in the third inning, taking a four-run lead over the Chargers. Despite a comeback attempt when New Haven’s Thorpe singled to bring in Ceccarelli, the team could not even out the score, and gave up three more runs in the fifth inning.
With the week complete, the Chargers leave the road stretch with a 5‑18 record and will look to regroup at home before a busy slate of upcoming matchups. New Haven will host Fairfield University on April 1, followed by a three-game conference series against Long Island University on Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit NewHavenChargers.com.
