(05-08-09) BROOKVILLE, N.Y. - The University of New Haven softball team defeated the No. 23 C.W. Post Pioneers 1-0 Friday afternoon at the C.W. Post Softball Complex in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship. With the win the Chargers advance in the winners bracket of the tournament and take on (3) Georgian Court tomorrow at 11 a.m.
A solo homerun in the top of the third inning from junior Nicole Downs and a complete game pitching shutout from Breanne Gleason led the Chargers to the upset victory Friday afternoon.
The Chargers opened the first inning with a hit, but ended up stranding the runner on base three batters later. In the Pioneers' half of the first inning, they strung two hits and a walk together to put three runners on base with just one out. Gleason then retired both of the next batters, one swinging and one looking.
Neither team scored in the second as the game went into the third tied at 0-0. After a lead off strikeout in the top of the third inning, Downs stepped to the plate for the Chargers. She laced a ball foul deep over the left side fence, before hammering her UNH-record 18th career homerun over the left center fence.
The solo shot proved to be all the Chargers would need in their 1-0 victory. The Pioneers threatened on three occasions in the final four innings. They left the tying run on base in the bottom of the four, bottom of the fifth and bottom of the seventh innings, including a runner on third base in the fifth inning.
Downs, Chelsea Harold and Allison Vaughn each recorded two hits for the Chargers. Downs tallied the Chargers only RBI and run scored.
On the rubber for the Chargers, Gleason pitched her 10th shutout of the season, while throwing eight strikeouts and allowing only four hits.
The Chargers will return to action at 11 a.m. tomorrow against (3) Georgian Court, who defeated Southern Connecticut 4-2 in game two Friday. The winner of that game will advance to the regional championship game on Sunday, while the loser takes on the winner of (2) C.W. Post and (6) Southern Connecticut who play the 1:30 p.m. game on Saturday. That game will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
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