WEST HAVEN, Conn. - Senior Sadie Pratt's (Dighton, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) eighth-inning RBI single gave the Saint Michael's College softball team the lead for good in a 4-3 victory over the University of New Haven during the Purple Knights' Northeast-10 Conference opener on Sunday at the New Haven Softball Field. The Chargers took a 1-0 decision during the nightcap.

RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (6-10, 1-1 NE10), New Haven (7-18, 5-3 NE10)

DOUBLEHEADER FACTS

• The Purple Knights played for the first time since March 17, when they capped a 14-game training trip in Florida.
• Saint Michael's has suffered four of its losses by a single run.
• Senior Izzy Ruprecht (Kingston, Mass./Silver Lake Regional), who is in her first season of college softball, picked up her first career hit in the opener.
• The Purple Knights earned their first win ever on New Haven's home field.
• Each of the past five meetings between the teams has been decided by two runs or fewer, including four one-run affairs. Saint Michael's is 2-0 in extra innings during that time.

GAME 1
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Pratt, 3-for-5, 1 RBI
• Ruprecht, 1-for-3, 2 R, 1 BB
• Senior Hope Hiscock (Schenectady, N.Y./Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School), 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR
• First-year CJ Davidson (Canyon Lake, Calif./Vista Murrieta), 1-for-5, 1 R
• Sophomore Kelleigh Simpson (West Burke, Vt./Lyndon Institute), 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Sophomore Jenna Devens (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany), 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, win in relief

OPPONENT LEADERS

• First-year Aaliyah Amidon, 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B
• First-year Bella Chenet, 2-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 SAC
• Senior Selena Aponte, 8 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K

THE ACTION

• Davidson singled leading off the game before scoring on an error, and Ruprecht came around on a fourth-inning miscue after walking to make it 2-0.
• Chenet walked with the bases loaded to force in a run during the home half, but Simpson induced a groundout to escape the threat.
• Hiscock's solo homer with two down in the fifth extended the lead to 3-1.
• With two down in the home half and runners at second and third, an outfield error allowed both Chargers to score and tie the game.
• The Chargers left a runner at second to end each of the next two innings, including as shortstop Pratt fielded a grounder and tagged a nearby runner for the final out of the seventh.
• Ruprecht reached on an error with one out in the eighth before first-year Brooke Edgerly (Morley, Mich./Morley Stanwood) singled to shortstop. One out later, Pratt singled into right field to bring Ruprecht home.
• With a runner on second and one out in the home half, Pratt secured a popup before fielding a final grounder and tossing to first to end the contest.

GAME 2
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Davidson, 1-for-2, 1 BB
• First-year Allida Kelliher (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield Memorial), 1-for-3, 1 2B
• First-year Jamie Hearn (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day School), 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Junior Halle Frederick, 2-for-3, 1 R
• Sophomore Olivia Roberto, 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 2B
• First-year Skylar Griffin, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K

THE ACTION

• Frederick led off the second with a single before moving to third on junior Ashley Veisz's two-out double, but Hearn stranded both by inducing an inning-ending line-drive out.
• Devens and sophomore Kaylee Morey (Stonington, Maine/Deer Isle-Stonington) both walked in the fourth but were left aboard.
• In the bottom half, Roberto's double through the left side split the gap to the fence, bringing Frederick around with the game's only run. New Haven left the bases loaded when Hearn forced the final two batters to fly out.
• Hearn was hit by a pitch with one out in the seventh before Kelliher's two-out double put a pair in scoring position, but Griffin retired the final batter on strikes.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Monday at Southern Connecticut State University, 12 p.m. doubleheader.