NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A day after sweeping Southwest Division rival University of New Haven, the Pace University softball team made it four-straight division and Northeast-10 Conference victories, this time with a two-game sweep of Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) Wednesday afternoon at Pelz Field. The Setters picked up an 11-0 win in five innings in the opener, and then finished the day with a 7-2 defeat of the Owls. Pace improves to 19-10 overall and 12-3 in Northeast-10 contests, while SCSU drops to 8-23 and 1-12.
 
The Setters are now tied with Adelphi University atop the Southwest Division standings with an 8-3 record in divisional games. Adelphi holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Setters. Adelphi and New Haven split in a doubleheader on Wednesday.
 
Game 1: Pace 11, Southern Connecticut State 0 (5 inn)
The Setters put game one out of reach before the Owls could even come to bat. Pace sent 13 batters to the plate in the top of the first, stringing together 10 hits and scoring nine runs for a comfortable early lead. Senior third baseman Victoria Quinones (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Spellman) and sophomore right fielder Jordan Chillinsky (Carlsbad, CA/Carlsbad High School) each picked up two-RBI singles in the inning.
 
The Setters went on to get two more runs in the top of the third on a two-RBI single by junior catcher Nikole Larm (Brewster, NY/Brewster). The 11-0 lead for the Setters led to the game being completed after five innings due to the eight-run rule.
 
Junior starter Kaitlynn Nelson (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff) was stellar in a complete-game shutout win. She did not allow a run, and gave up just three hits while striking out seven batters to improve to 7-4. SCSU starter Audrey Dolloff fell to 2-8 after giving up 11 earned runs in five innings.
 
Larm finished the game going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Sophomore designated player Surina Sandhu (Elk Grove, CA/Elk Grove High School) went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Junior second baseman Haley Hernandez (West Hills, CA/El Camino Real) hit 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI and a double. Quinones knocked in two and scored another in a 1-for-3 outing. Freshman first baseman Annie Carberry (Colorado Springs, CO/Pine Creek) scored once and picked up an RBI in a 1-for-3 effort. Sophomore shortstop Ashley Lew (New City, NY/Clarkstown High School North) hit 2-for-4 with a run and
 
Sophomore center fielder Larissa Labs (Carlsbad, CA/San Marcos High School) went 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI and a double. Sophomore left fielder Tara Bernstein (Glen Oaks, NY/Bayside High School) batted 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI. Chillinsky hit 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run.
 
Game 2: Pace 7, Southern Connecticut State 2
Game two was a much more back-and-forth affair until the Setters pulled away late in the contest. After a scoreless first, Chillinsky got things going in the top of the second with an RBI single into center field, plating Bernstein from second to take a 1-0 lead. Southern Connecticut then scored its first run of the day in the bottom of the second, as shortstop Lauren Yaffa hit an RBI single to center, scoring Dolloff from second to tie the game.
 
The Setters took the lead right back in the top of the third when Sandhu blasted a homer over the left-center field wall to make it a 2-1 game in favor of the visitors. SCSU later tied the game in the home half of the fourth when designated player Samantha Groskritz homered with the bases empty, making it a 2-2 contest.
 
Lew took advantage of a lucky break to help the Setters take the lead in the top of the fifth. She struck out to open the inning, but reached base after a passed ball on strike three. She then stole second and third, and scored after the throw to third got past the third baseman, giving the Setters a 3-2 lead. Junior catcher Samantha Lima (Brawley, CA/Saddleback College) later added to the lead on an RBI double to left that scored Hernandez to give Pace a 4-2 lead.
 
The Setters loaded the bases in the sixth to give themselves a chance to break the game open. Hernandez came through, smacking a double to right-center to clear the bases and put Pace up, 7-2. Hernandez's double capped off the scoring for the afternoon, leading to a sweep for the Setters.
 
Senior starter Caitlin McCann (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame) had a solid game in the circle, going the complete seven innings and giving up just two runs to improve to 6-4. She fanned seven batters and yielded just six hits. SCSU starter Samantha Peltier fell to 0-1 after allowing four runs (three earned) in five innings of work.
 
Hernandez knocked in three runs with a double in a 1-for-2 outing. Sandhu hit her second home run of the year in a 1-for-3 effort. Quinones went 2-for-3 with a run, while Chillinsky batted 2-for-3 with an RBI.
 
The Setters take a day off before heading up to Albany, N.Y. for a three-game series at the College of Saint Rose. Game one will take place on Friday, April 15, at 4 p.m.
 
For all information regarding Pace University softball, log on to www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow Pace Athletics on Facebook (T-Bone, Official Mascot of Pace University Athletics) and follow Pace Softball on Twitter (@Pace_Softball).
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