Softball Sweeps Becker on Senior Day
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team took
both games of a doubleheader against Becker College on Wednesday
afternoon, winning the first game 9-0 in five innings and the
second by an 8-3 final.
Mitchell (18-8 overall, 10-0 NECC) remained undefeated in
conference play and finished the regular season 14-0 on its home
field. Becker dropped to 8-18 overall and 3-5 in NECC play.
Game 1 – Mitchell 9, Becker 0 (5
innings)
Sophomore pitcher Kristina Torres gave up only three hits over 5.0
innings to earn her fourth shutout of the season. She struck out
eight without issuing a walk and improved to 8-5 overall.
The Mariners scored three runs in the first inning to take control.
Sophomore Brittany Zaccaria plated a run with a ground out
and freshman Meghan Burke followed with an RBI single,
Mitchell’s only hit in the frame.
Mitchell picked up two more runs in the second inning. Sophomore Nikki
Hoxie delivered an RBI double and later scored on a failed
pickoff attempt. The Mariners then added four runs in the third to
go up 9-0. Sophomore Shannen Pelletier drove in a run with a single to
right, and classmate Stacey
Suplicki added a double to right-center that plated two
runs.
Felicia Laufer had two of Becker’s three hits, including a
double in the fifth inning. Jessica Lewis took the ball in the
circle for the Hawks and gave up seven runs (three earned) on three
hits. She also walked five and struck out two in 2.1 innings of
work. Paige Needham closed out the game in relief, giving up two
runs on three hits in 1.2 innings.
Game 2 – Mitchell 8, Becker 3
Mitchell took a 1-0 lead in the second inning and added a pair of
runs in the third. Junior Jen
Bordonaro got the rally started with a two-out double and
scored after Hoxie reached on a bunt single and purposely got
caught in a run-down. Suplicki then brought Hoxie around with a
triple to right-center to give the Mariners a 3-0 cushion.
Sophomore Marissa Thomas retired the first 11 batters she
faced before Becker rallied for two runs with two outs in the
fourth. Shannon Tibbetts and Lindsay Hanna got things going with
back-to-back singles, and Lewis drove both of them in with a single
to center to pull the Hawks to within a run at 3-2.
The Mariners responded with four runs in the home half of the
fourth. Zaccaria and senior Kelly
Reynolds each had RBI singles in the frame while Hoxie plated a
run with a sacrifice fly. Mitchell added a pair of runs in the
sixth on a Suplicki sacrifice fly and an RBI single by senior Sara Krolikowski to increase the lead to 8-2.
The Hawks got a run back in the seventh on an RBI double from
Larissa Paula, but the game ended when she tried to stretch it into
a triple and was gunned down at third. Thomas (10-3 overall) picked
up the win in the circle, throwing 7.0 innings and allowing three
runs on five hits. She also fanned a career-high nine batters in
the win.
Becker didn’t help its own cause by committing five errors in
the ballgame. Needham (4-9 overall) got the starting nod and gave
up eight runs (five earned) on 10 hits over 6.0 innings. She also
struck out two and walked a pair.
Mitchell honored its three seniors--Krolikowski, Reynolds and Michele Anderson--prior to the games. Reynolds is a
three-year letterwinner while both Krolikowski and Anderson have
been with the Mariners for four seasons.
Mitchell returns to action at Lesley University on Saturday, April
24 at 1 p.m.
