WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven softball team completed a three-game series sweep of American International College Saturday afternoon with a pair of victories at the UNH Softball Field. Micah Stonesifer (Archer City, Texas/Archer City / Vernon College) threw the complete game four hitter to lead UNH to a 5-1 victory in game one, while Jess Spivey (Holland, Pa./Council Rock) hit a two-out, three-RBI homerun in inning three of game two to lead the Chargers to an 8-2 victory.

New Haven improved to 13-5 overall and 3-1 in the Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division with Saturday’s sweep. The Yellow Jackets dropped to 3-11 overall and 1-5 in NE-10 Southwest Division play.

Game One

After a scoreless first, the Chargers opened scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Brandy Dianno (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) drove in both runs with a single to right center which scored Spivey and Lindsey Couturier (Dighton, Mass./Dighton Rehoboth Regional) to give UNH an early 2-0 lead.

The Chargers added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning when Jen Palase and (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville)Christina Gelardi# both drove in a run. UNH took a 4-0 lead with three hits and two runs in the fourth.

As the starting pitcher, Stonesifer carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning for New Haven. The Yellow Jackets then put up two hits, but the Chargers’ defense held strong and kept the shutout alive through five. In the top of the sixth, AIC would score one run off two hits to cut New Haven’s lead to 4-1. In the bottom of the sixth, Couturier drove in her first of the day with a sacrifice fly to right field, giving the Chargers a 5-1 lead.

Stonesifer fanned two and the third batter grounded out in the top of the seventh and New Haven took a 5-1 win in the first game of the day. The senior struck out four batters, allowed just one earned run and four hits.

Dianno led the UNH bats with two RBI, one hit and one run in three at-bats. Palase went 1-for-2 with one RBI and Gelardi went 1-for-3 with one RBI as well.

Game Two

New Haven fell behind in the second inning of the nightcap. AIC scored its first run off two hits and one UNH error in the second inning. The Yellow Jackets 1-0 lead held through the top of the third, but the Chargers scored five runs off three hits in the bottom of the third to take a 5-1 lead. Couturier scored in a pair of runs with a double up the middle, while Spivey’s three-run homerun followed.

Three more runs in the top of the fourth inning led the Chargers to an 8-1 advantage. Couturier drove in another when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, while two more runs would cross after a dropped fly ball to right field.

In the top of the fifth, AIC scored one run off three hits to cut New Haven’s lead to six, 8-2. The Yellow Jackets left three runners on base in the fifth, one in the sixth and one in the seventh before suffering the 8-2 loss.

Brittany Scott (Buena, N.J./Buena Regional) threw the first four 1/3 innings for New Haven and earned her fourth win of the season. She struck out three, gave up six hits and allowed one earned run. Nicole King (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) finished the game and threw two 2/3 innings. She struck out six, allowed one hit and gave up no runs.

Spivey led the New Haven bats with three RBI, two hits and one run, while Couturier added three RBI, one hit and one run scored. Lucy Francisco (Lawrence, Mass./Lawrence ) was the only other Chargers with a hit, while added two runs in three at-bats in game two.