(04-29-09) WEST HAVEN, Conn. - The University of New Haven softball team defeated the American International College Yellow Jackets 5-2 Wednesday afternoon in the opening round of the Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) Championship tournament. With the win the Chargers advance to take on Southern Connecticut on Saturday in Syracuse, N.Y. at the top seed Le Moyne College who defeated Assumption in the opening round.
The remainder of the NE-10 Championship is double elimination format. If the Chargers win their first game on Saturday they take on the winner of (1) Le Moyne/(4) Merrimack at 3:00 p.m. If the Chargers lose to the Owls, New Haven will play the loser of Le Moyne/Merrimack immediately following their opening round game at approximately 1 p.m. The two and possible three games on Sunday, the final day of the tournament, will be played at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The Chargers earned Wednesday's win off a four-run third inning. Breanne Gleason drove in the Chargers first run with a single to right field. Meghan Walter continued the UNH rally with a single up the middle two batters later. New Haven's next batter, Alison Vaughan hit what proved to be the game-winning RBI to left field, which scored Gleason. Courtney Garland gave the Chargers a 4-0 lead after driving in the Chargers final run in the third inning off a single to center field.
The Yellow Jackets got on the board in the top of the fifth inning off a two-run homer to right field. Garland gave the Chargers one more run off a solo homer over the left field fence in the bottom half of the fifth.
Gleason allowed just one hit in the final two innings as the Chargers sealed their first-ever Northeast-10 Conference Championship victory.
Gleason pitched the complete game for the Chargers and retired 12 batters. She walked two, allowed five hits and two earned runs.
Garland led the UNH bats with two hits and two RBI, while Walter and Gleason each tallied two hits and one RBI. Chelsea Harold, Nicole Downs and Jessica Medina each grabbed two hits and a run scored.
The Chargers will return to action on Saturday, May 2 when they take on the Southern Connecticut State University Owls in Syracuse, N.Y. at the NE-10 Championship. Game time is set for 11 a.m.
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