NEW HAVEN, Connecticut - Pitching just 13 miles from where she grew up,
Trinity LaValley tossed a gem to help the American International College softball team split with Southern Connecticut State University with a 7-0 setback and 4-2 win on Tuesday, March 31.
AIC is now 5-17 overall and 1-9 in the NE10.
The Owls struck for five in the second inning of game one with three hits and two walks, aided by an error as well; they added two more in the third with two hits, a walk, and a double steal for the 7-0 lead, which ultimately ended up being the final.
In game two,
Nevaeh Trejo was hit by a pitch and
Jilien Ayala and
Morgan Bemont both worked walks behind her to load the bases. Trejo came home as a pitch reached the backstop for a 1-0 lead.Â
The Owls tied the game in the third with three straight singles, and threatened to score another in the fourth by getting a runner to third, but LaValley drew a popup to win a seven-pitch battle that ended the inning.
That set the stage for
Brianna Salazar to led off the fifth with a bunt single; Trejo sacrificed her over, and Ayala singled, taking second on the throw home that kept Salazar limited to third. Two batters later, the duo both scored as
Marilyn Augusta won an 11-pitch battle by smacking a two-run single to right, giving AIC a 3-1 lead.
Southern Connecticut bounced back with a walk and a double in the bottom half to make the score 3-2, but again LaValley ended the threat, striking out the next batter to strand the runner. She also worked around a double in the sixth without allowing the Owls to re-tie the game.
AIC added insurance in the seventh; Trejo led off with a double, Ayala sacrificed her to third, and Bemont drove a single to right to bring her home.
Down to their last outs, the Owls put two on with one out, and LaValley gave way to
Julia Krijgsman, who induced a groundout. She did walk a batter to load the bases, putting the potential winning run on base, but then slammed the door shut with a popout to earn the save and AIC's first NE10 win of 2026.
LaValley totaled 6.1 innings with a career-high seven strikeouts, allowing two runs on eight hits.Â
AIC returns to NE10 play on Friday, April 3, opening a four-game series at Saint Michael's College with a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 3:00 p.m.
