Boxscores:
Game 1
Game 2

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Sophomore Megan Caporossi (Northford, Conn.) batted 6-for-8 over the span of two games as the Southern Connecticut State University softball team swept the Dominican College Chargers by scores of 5-4 and 11-3 at Pelz Field in New Haven on Tuesday afternoon. With the pair of victories, the Owls improved to 3-0 on the season, while Dominican fell to 0-2.

In the first game, four different Owls contributed RBI and junior Amanda Pindar (New Britain, Conn.) scattered 12 hits and allowed three earned runs in a complete game victory.

The Owls jumped out to an early lead as sophomore centerfielder Julianne Flood (Poughquag, N.Y.) crossed the plate courtesy of a Dominican fielding error in the bottom of the first. Southern Connecticut played small ball in the bottom of the second, as a sacrifice bunt by freshman second baseman Robin Priest (Cheshire, Conn.) put two runners in scoring position for Flood. After the sophomore leadoff hitter knocked in sophomore right fielder Kerry Iacomini (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.), junior catcher Khristle Lee (Aztec, N.M.) smacked a double to right to bring home junior shortstop Amanda St. George (Shelton, Conn.). Junior left fielder Monica Savarese (Orange, Conn.) rounded out the three run inning with an infield single to bring home Flood.

With the Owls maintaining their 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, Dominican rattled off three singles to load the bases with none out. After Pindar forced a harmless pop out for the first out, junior third baseman Christina Wolf (Newtown, Conn.) saved a potential big inning with some exceptional glove work. Wolf speared a groundball and tagged third for the second out of the inning, then fired home to cut down the lead runner and preserve the Owls' four-run cushion.

In the next inning, Dominican again loaded the bases with none out. This time around, the Chargers capitalized and plated four runs to knot the score at 4-4.

The stalemate would not last, however as the Owls regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Junior first baseman Brittany Gandley (Holbrook, N.Y.) roped a leadoff double to right, and, after two quick outs, St. George knocked a single to left to bring her home.

After both sides went quietly in the sixth inning, Dominican threatened the lead for a final time in the top of the seventh. The Chargers got the tying run aboard with one out, but failed to advance her any further as Pindar induced the final two outs on groundballs to give the Owls the 5-4 victory.

Christine Stathes (0-1) took the loss for the Chargers, allowing five runs (four runs) and surrendering 11 hits in a six inning complete game performance.

The Southern Connecticut bats were the story in the second game of the double-dip. Megan Caporossi led the way with a perfect 4-for-4 performance, and sophomore catcher Melissa Corwin (Riverhead, N.Y.) drove in three runs, including smacking the game-ending two run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Brittany Gandley also had a perfect game from the plate, going 2-for-2 and drawing a pair of walks. Kerry Iacomini (2-0) took the hill and earned her second win in as many days with a three run, ten hit complete game.

Just as they did in the first game, the Owls jumped out to an early lead in the nightcap. A pair of errors on one play with two out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the first resulted in two runs as Caporossi and Monica Savarese crossed the plate to give the Owls a 2-0 lead. The Owls built their lead to 3-0 in the next inning, as another Dominican error on what should have been the final out of the inning eventual became a Caporossi RBI single.

Still holding a 3-0 lead, Southern Connecticut struck again in the bottom of the fourth inning. Savarese singled to drive in Caporossi, who had doubled for her third hit of the day, and Gandley brought Savarese the rest of the way around with a double to the gap in right center field.

Trailing 5-0, Dominican lessened the gap in the top of the fifth inning with three singles, a walk, and a groundout. Jackie Terpstra, Sarah Beck and Danielle Garrison picked up the RBI for the Chargers.

Southern Connecticut responded in the bottom of the inning, replacing the two run lead with another, more comfortable five run cushion at 8-3. A Corwin RBI triple was the big hit in the inning, and the Dominican fielders once again failed to help out its hurler by committing three errors in the frame.

The Chargers made a final push for the lead in the sixth inning as, for the third time, they loaded the bases with nobody out. This time around, Iacomini struck out Kristine Knuth for the first out. Catcher Khristle Lee bailed her battery mate out of the inning by turning a check swing groundball into an inning ending double play, with second baseman Amanda St. George covering first to complete the twin killing.

The Owls completed the two-game sweep in the bottom of the inning. After a St. George RBI double, Corwin stepped to the plate and delivered her first home run in an Owls' uniform. The two-run blast made the score 11-3 in favor of the home team, and ended the contest via the eight run rule.
Laurie Edwards (0-1) took the loss for the Chargers, allowing 11 runs (seven earned) and 12 hits in a complete game outing.

The Southern Connecticut softball team is back in action on Friday, March 14 as they challenge Palm Beach Atlantic at 10 a.m. and Nova Southeastern at 2:30 p.m. from Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla.