New Haven, Conn. - Senior Brenna Martini hit a pair of home runs in the opener to lead the Adelphi University softball team to a split against the University of New Haven on Wednesday afternoon, winning game one 6-2 but falling 5-2 in the nightcap.

Martini's ninth and 10th long balls of the year, which now give her sole possession of the Northeast-10 Conference lead, bookended the Adelphi (23-17-1, 14-6-1 NE10) scoring the opener. The senior's first blast, a solo shot, gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead with two outs in the first, while her second, a three-run blast, capped a four-run sixth inning which turned a 2-1 game into a 6-1 contest.

Martini's power bat was more than enough for the tandem of Nicole Mengel and Jessica Vadala, who scored a win and a save in the victory, respectively. Mengel pitched four innings for her seventh win of the season, and despite walking five, only allowed one run on two hits. Vadala also surrendered a run, a solo homer to Madison Derosia in the seventh, but worked around three hits in her three innings of work.

In the nightcap, freshman Katrina Aponte's first career home run broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning to give New Haven a 3-1 lead against Ally Muller, and the home team never trailed again in the contest. Adelphi had previously tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the frame courtesy of an RBI single by Elisabeth Berard, as New Haven took its first lead in the bottom of the third inning.

Aponte was one of two Chargers to drive in two in game two to help the home team split, as Erin Stever's two-run double in the sixth inning provided a pair of insurance runs for New Haven late. Adelphi threatened in the top of the seventh, as it loaded the bases with one out and saw Lauren Sandelier draw a bases-loaded walk, but the Panthers ultimately stranded the tying runs on base.

After going 2-for-4 with four RBIs in the first game, Martini capped her afternoon with an 0-for-1 outing in game two with three walks. Nicoletta Cuccio scored the other hit for Adelphi against Kylie Stonebraker in game two, while Christina Rizzi went 2-for-2 in the opener as well.

The Panthers return to action this weekend, as they head up to Le Moyne College for a three-game series in Syracuse. 

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About Adelphi Athletics
Adelphi University joined the Northeast-10 Conference in the fall of 2009, and in the past eight seasons, has collected 26 regular season conference titles, 28 tournament championships, 37 individual crowns and captured the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup four times (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017), while winning six NCAA Division II National Championships.

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