Big Crowd Treated To Pair Of Exciting Games

HAMDEN, Conn. – A terrific crowd turned out to the Quinnipiac Softball Field for Chris' Game, a doubleheader between the Yale and Quinnipiac softball teams played to honor the memory of Chris Labbadia. Chris, the brother of Yale shortstop Brittany Labbadia and the son of Quinnipiac assistant coach Lynn Labbadia, tragically passed away in a car accident in January.

The fans were treated to a pair of exciting games as the Bobcats scored three runs in the sixth inning to win the first game 3-1 and then walked off with a 1-0 victory by scoring in the bottom of the seventh inning of the second game.

The day, though, was mostly about remembering Chris, who will forever be known for his love, acceptance, loyalty, passion and laughter. There was a moment of silence before the first pitch and t-shirts and bracelets were sold with all the proceeds going to the Chris Labbadia Memorial Fund.

Donations can still be made online by visiting https://fundly.com/the-chris-labbadia-memorial-scholarship-fund#supporters/donors

Yale got a pair of very well pitched games. Lindsay Efflandt allowed only six hits in the first. In the second game, Terra Jerpbak yielded only four hits and one run.

Quinnipiac's pitchers were just as stingy. Sydney Robey tossed a five-hitter in the opener with four strikeouts.

The first game was scoreless after five innings. The Bulldogs finally pushed across a run in the sixth. Sydney Glover walked and moved to second on Allison Skinner's sacrifice bunt. Jerpbak followed with a single up the middle that scored Glover from second.

The Bobcats answered in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs. The big hit was Keilani Finley's two-run single that snapped a 1-1 tie.

Yale loaded the bases in the seventh but couldn't score.

Freshman Madison Sack had a pair of hits for the Bulldogs, including a double that hit high off the fence in left field, narrowly missing a home run. Rachel Paris and Shelby Kennedy also had hits.

Quinnipiac's Casey Herzog was the star of the second game. She pitched a one-hitter and delivered the winning hit in the bottom of the seventh inning, a two-out single up the middle that scored Emily Czaja.

Yale's hit was a single to left field by Jerpbak leading off the top of the seventh.

The Bulldogs' only other baserunners came on walks to Labbadia and Laina Do.

Yale returns to Ivy League play this weekend, hosting a back-to-back doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday against Harvard. The first pitch on both days is slated for 12:30 p.m.

Report filed by Tim Bennett (timothy.bennett@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity