NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The University of New Haven softball team split a doubleheader at Merrimack College on Saturday afternoon. The Chargers held on for a 6-5 win in game one, while the Warriors rebounded with a 6-1 victory in game two.
New Haven moved to 16-7 on the season with the split. The Warriors are now 7-13 overall.
Game One
In the first three innings, both teams were held scoreless. The Chargers retired the side in the second and pitcher Micah Stonesifer (Archer City, Texas/Archer City / Vernon College) recorded a trio of strikeouts in the third.
After leaving runners on base in each of the first three innings, New Haven finally crossed the plate in the top of the fourth inning. On the first pitch of the inning, Keri Tricinelli (Brick, N.J./Monsignor Donovan) hit a homerun over the fence in right center to put UNH ahead 1-0. Stonesifer and the UNH defense held the Warriors scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, including a picked off runner at second base by Courtney Reed (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell).
In the top of the fifth, the Chargers loaded the bases after three batters were hit by pitches. Lucy Francisco (Lawrence, Mass./Lawrence ) then hit a three-RBI triple to left field to put UNH ahead 4-0. Reed drove in another run with a single to right field in the top of the fifth as well. The bottom of the fifth was scoreless for Merrimack once again.
Brandy Dianno (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) led off the sixth inning with a solo shot to right center to give the Chargers a 6-0 lead. After three straight outs and another scoreless bottom half of the inning, New Haven held a six run advantage heading into the seventh.
The Chargers were scoreless in the top of the seventh, but the Warriors loaded the bases and scored five runs with one out. Merrimack put the winning run on base before Stonesifer completed her sixth complete game victory of the season.
Francisco led the Chargers with her three RBI and one run scored. Tricinelli and Diano also ended with one RBI and one run after hitting homeruns.
Stonesifer improved to 7-3 with the win and a season-high 11 strikouts.
Game Two
In the first three innings, both teams were scoreless yet again. After allowing two early hits, Nicole King (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) struck out six in the first three innings. She struck out the side in the bottom of the second to hold the game at 0-0.
New Haven was first to strike when Jess Spivey (Holland, Pa./Council Rock) hit a homerun to right center in the top of the fifth inning. The Chargers 1-0 lead didn’t last long as Merrimack answered in the bottom of the fifth with five runs off six hits.
The Chargers put runners on base in the top of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, but were unable to drive in another run. The Warriors added a solo homerun in the bottom of the sixth inning to seal a 6-1 victory.
Merrimack’s Alexis Perry earned the win in the circle for Merrimack with the complete game. King suffered the loss for UNH in three 2/3 innings pitched. Brittany Scott (Buena, N.J./Buena Regional) appeared in relief and posted two strikeouts and gave up one run.
Spivey went 2-for-2 at the plate with the solo homerun. Christina Gelardi (Derby, Conn./Derby) went 2-for-3 at the dish, while Francisco was the only other Charger with a hit.
