NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Sophomore Megan Caporossi (Northford, Conn.) and freshman Robin Priest (Cheshire, Conn.) both hit solo home runs in game two of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Pelz Field in New Haven, but the Southern Connecticut State University softball team fell to Adelphi University in both ends of the twin bill by scores of 13-2 and 7-5. The Owls are now 5-10 overall, while Adelphi improved to 6-10.

In the first game, the Adelphi bats struck early and often, as the Panthers jumped out to a 7-0 lead after one and a half innings. The Owls tacked on their first run of the afternoon in the bottom of the frame on bases loaded walk drawn by sophomore centerfielder Julianne Flood (Poughquag, N.Y.).

Adelphi answered with two more runs in the top of the third inning, courtesy of a two-out two-run triple from Samantha Johnston. Southern Connecticut plated a second run in their half of the third, as junior left fielder Monica Savarese (Orange, Conn.) drove in Caporossi with a sacrifice fly.

The second Owls' run ended the scoring until the top of the seventh, when Adelphi brought home four insurance runs to bring the score to its eventual final of 13-2.

Samantha Tilton (1-1) pitched four relief innings of one-hit ball to earn her first win of the season. Sophomore Kerry Iacomini (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) took the loss to even her record at 3-3.

Johnston led the Panther offense with a 4-for-5 performance and five runs batted in.

The Owls came out firing in the second game of the double-dip. Savarese ripped a base hit down the left field line to plate Caporossi and give the Owls a quick 1-0 lead after one inning.

After a Diana DiPiano base hit tied the score at 1-1 in the top of the third, Caporossi smacked her fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the frame to give the Owls a 2-1 advantage.

Priest led off the next inning for the Owls with a home run to bring the score to 3-1. The roundtripper was the first home run and RBI of Priest's Southern Connecticut career.

Just as she did in the first game, in was Johnston once again who provided the offense for the Panthers. This time, it was an RBI groundout in the top of the fifth that cut the Owls' lead to one run.

In the top of the seventh, the Panthers plated two runs to take a 4-3 lead. Katie Brophy drove in Dely Francisco to knot the score at 3 apiece. Brophy would eventual score the go-ahead run on a Southern Connecticut throwing error.

The bottom of the inning was the Owls' chance to play catch-up. Savarese doubled to lead off the inning, and was advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Iacomini. After junior Christina Wolf (Newtown, Conn.) walked, junior Amanda St. George (Shelton, Conn.) ripped a groundball that bounced off the glove of the Adelphi second baseman, playing Savarese with the tying run. Samantha Tilton, the winner of the game one, came on in relief and shut the door, but the damage was done and the game went into extra innings.

Adelphi wasted no time in their half of the eighth inning. A Bailey Lawrence bunt single plated the go-ahead run, who began the inning on second base due to International Tiebreaker rules. The Panthers plated two more runs in the inning to run their lead to 7-4.

The Owls plated a run in the bottom of the eighth on a Caporossi base hit, but Tilton once again slammed the door on a Southern Connecticut rally to give Adelphi a 7-5 victory.

Tilton's (2-1) 1.1 innings of relief work earned her her second victory of the day. Sophomore Amanda Pindar (New Britain, Conn.) fell to 1-5 on the season.

Savarese went 3-for-4 with an RBI on the game to lead the Owls' charge. Caporossi finished 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Dely Francisco finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and three stolen bases.

The Owls are back in action on Wednesday, March 26, as they travel to Brookville, N.Y. to challenge Long Island-C.W. Post in a non-conference doubleheader.