Coming off a tough stretch of games against Uconn and Wagner College, the Chargers faced off against the Fairfield University Stags for the second time of the season and played a three game series against their NEC rival, the Long Island University (LIU) Sharks.
The Chargers have struggled in their first Division I season entering the week with a record of 5-18, and looking to add some wins to their column.
In the Chargers’ game against the Stags, Fairfield came out swinging, finding early runs in the first inning. Sammie Dougherty was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in Sarah Bielski, followed by a two-RBI double from Lauren Osland and an RBI single from Martina Gutierrez, which gave Fairfield 4-0 lead. They added three more in the second and another in the fourth on a Quinn McGonigle homer. New Haven scored in the fourth and fifth with Jess Petit driving in runs, but Fairfield added one more in the sixth on a Dougherty bunt single, sealing the game at 10-2.
The Chargers struggled to find their rhythm against the LIU Sharks and dropped all three matchups. In the opener, the Sharks got on the board early with a first-inning RBI and added runs in the fifth and seventh innings to claim a 3-0 victory. New Haven managed six hits, led by Emily Ricci’s two singles, but couldn’t convert any opportunities into runs, as pitcher Sarah Wall stifled the Chargers’ offense.
In the second game, New Haven jumped out to an early lead when Petit singled in Jaclyn Piazza in the first inning, but LIU rallied late with a three-run eighth inning, highlighted by RBIs from Jaedyn Lincoln and Anais Soto, taking the 4-1 win. The series wrapped up with an LIU 3-0 win as the Sharks scored in the third, sixth and seventh innings, while New Haven was held to just one hit.
The softball team moves on with an overall record of 5-22 and 3-9 in conference play. The Chargers next matches include a series against the Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) Knights on Tuesday and Wednesday followed by games against the Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) Blue Devils later in the week. First pitch against FDU is at 1 p.m. in Teaneck, NJ. For more information, visit NewHavenChargers.com.
