Competing for the first time in over a year, the New Haven women’s softball team saw their first game on Saturday, opening up their season with a doubleheader against the Stonehill Skyhawks. The Chargers finished the day with two wins.

Securing their first victory with a score of 4-1, bats for the Chargers only continued to heat up as they found themselves on top, 10-2, at the end of game two. According to junior infielder Mya Case, “it honestly felt great.”

Totaling for 14 runs on 20 hits, Case helped lead the way for the Chargers, as she closed out the day with four hits, including a triple and two doubles. Along with Case, junior infielder/outfielder Nahtali Simpson gave New Haven’s offense a boost, earning a .750 batting average and stealing five bases.

“You don’t realize how long it’s been until you take the field in the first inning and all of those feelings come flooding back,” said Case.

Wasting little time, Chargers senior pitcher, Ava Fitzmaurice, was the first to score a run during the bottom of the third inning of game one. Fitzmaurice played a substantial role for New Haven in their first campaign, rattling off two hits and six strikeouts in only six innings, bringing in a 2.33 ERA.

Fitzmaurice shared the mound with junior Mia Iodice as she started the day for the Chargers, throwing an additional six strikeouts in seven innings and only allowing a total of four hits.

Despite facing unprecedented circumstances, Chargers freshmen “have handled it extremely well. They haven’t let any of it get to them and they showed that today out on the field,” said Case.

When New Haven found themselves trailing the Skyhawks in game two after giving up two runs in the top of the first, freshman infielder Ashley Veisz gave the Chargers a spark, firing an RBI triple deep into right field. Veisz batted in two runs on the day and collected two hits.

Regardless of going 373 days without conference play, New Haven found themselves selected to finish second in the Northeast-10 Southwest Division. Receiving 81 points and four of 14 possible first-place votes, the Chargers finished just three votes behind first place Adelphi.

Before the remainder of the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19, New Haven competed in six games, earning an overall record of 3-3.

With the NE10 adopting a divisional format, New Haven’s 2021 campaign consists of a 38-game regular-season schedule.

The Blue and Gold look to their next matchup on Saturday, March 20, against the Saint Anselm Hawks at the New Haven Softball Field at 1:00 p.m. These teams have not faced off since the end of the 2019 season when the Hawks ended a championship run for the Chargers.