NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut softball team swept the University of New Haven, 10-0 and 3-2, at Pelz Field. The Owls improved to 13-15 overall and 8-8 in the Northeast 10 with the wins, while the Chargers fell to 14-14 overall and 8-6 in the NE10.
Southern's pitching duo put on two tremendous performances in the circle.
Jessica Perucki (West Milford, N.J.) threw a seven-strikeout shutout in game one for her sixth win of the season, while
Jazmyn Martinez (Middletown, N.Y.) threw an eight-strikeout complete game in game two.Â
On offense, the Owls were electric in game one and found a way to bounce back in game two.
Jayden Delaporta (Mystic, Conn.) went 4-for-6 on the day with four runs batted in and three runs scored.
Liz DeRosa (Hudson, N.H.) went 2-for-3 with four runs batted in and one run scored in game one.
Katrina Roy (Bristol, Conn.) went 2-for-3 in game two with one RBI, while
Madelyn Sauve (Mansfield, Conn.) went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Roy's RBI single in the sixth inning of game two sent the Owls past the Chargers.
Angela Barresi (Windsor, Conn.) and
Ally Petrella (Willington, Conn.) each scored two runs apiece for Southern.Â
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Game 1: Southern Connecticut 10, New Haven 0
Southern came out hot in the first inning of this rivalry matchup. After
Emily Lange (Monroe, Conn.) earned first after being hit by a pitch,
Jayden Delaporta moved her over with a perfectly laid bunt. In the next at bat,
Jacqueline Dumont walked to load the bases. Lange eventually scored in the Owls' fourth at bat on a wild pitch that moved Delaporta and Dumont to third and second.
Liz DeRosa stepped to the plate and ripped a two-RBI single up the middle to score both and give the Owls a three-run lead early.
The Owls kept the rally going in the bottom of the second inning.
Angela Barresi walked in the lead-off spot for their first baserunner of the inning.
Ally Petrella poked the ball in the infield and reached first, while Barresi was safe at second on an error. With two on, Lange singled to left field in her second at bat of the day to load the bases. Delaporta, who bunted in her first at bat, knocked a shot through the left side that scored Barresi and Petrella, 5-0. Dumont bumped a double down the left field line to put Delaporta on third, while
Madelyn Sauve's fly out scored Delaporta in the process for the second and final run of the inning.
The firestorm of runs and hits continued for Southern in the third inning. Barresi singled through the left side with one out to get the Owls a runner on. Petrella then moved Barresi over to second with a single to third base. With two outs, Delaporta hit a dynamite shot to right center that knocked in Barresi and Petrella and saw the grad student earn a triple, 8-0.
In the fourth inning, the Owls capped their scoring. After Sauve lined a single up the middle,
Liz DeRosa rocketed a home run to left field to put the Owls in double digits.Â
Perucki's solid efforts in the circle and the Owls' charged up offense helped them secure a shutout victory.Â
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Game 2: Southern Connecticut 3, New Haven 2
The Chargers struck first in the second inning of game two. After a lead-off single through the left side from Maeve Lougheed, New Haven was able to move her over on back-to-back ground outs including a sacrifice bunt from Melissa Bike. Cayley Gottschall singled through the left side to score Lougheed from third. In the very next at bat, Hailey Laforte singled to right field that scored Gottschall for the Chargers' second and final run of the inning.
In the third inning, the Owls sparked a little offense.
Emily Lange walked to get a baserunner for Southern.
Jayden Delaporta picked up a single through the left side that put runners on first and second for
Jacqueline Dumont. Dumont knocked a single to right field that scored Lange to cut the Chargers' lead in half, 2-1.
The fourth and fifth innings were quiet on both sides until the Owls erupted in the bottom of the sixth inning. Delaporta blasted a lead-off double down the left field line to get things rolling.
Madelyn Sauve singled through the left side that had Delaporta wheeling from second to score and tie the game. In the very next at bat, DeRosa blasted a hard shot that tipped off the glove of the right fielder that saw her end up on second and Sauve on third.
Katrina Roy's at bat was a hard-earned battle that ultimately ended with her hitting a hard shot to Mya Iodice in the circle to score Sauve for the go-ahead run, 3-2.
With New Haven's last opportunity to score the equalizer in the top of the seventh, Martinez retired two of the Owls' last three outs to help lead them to a late-game victory and secure the sweep over New Haven.
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Notes