Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader Against Lyndon State

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College baseball team swept a doubleheader from Lyndon State College by final scores of 9-0 and 11-1 on Saturday afternoon.

Junior right-hander John Apostolo threw a three-hit shutout in the first game and combined to go 5-for-7 with seven RBI at the plate in the doubleheader. Freshman Jon Blair earned the victory in the second game for the Mariners (8-3 overall).

Game 1: Mitchell 9, Lyndon State 0

Mitchell scored the only run it would need in the second inning on a ground out by sophomore Osmer Collado. The Mariners also added four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to take control. Junior Felix Colarte and Apostolo each had RBI doubles in the fifth, and Colarte and senior Carlos Hughes each added RBI singles in the sixth.

Apostolo (3-1 overall) posted his first shutout of the season and struck out a season-high nine batters while walking three in 7.0 innings. He didn't allow a hit after the fourth inning and retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced.

Lyndon State's Shane O'Donnell-Leach pitched 4.0 innings and allowed five runs on six hits while striking out four. He dropped to 1-1 overall on the season.

Game 2: Mitchell 11, Lyndon State 1 (6 innings)

The Mariners scored runs in every inning but the fifth to take the nightcap. Senior Jeff Perillo went 3-for-4 with four RBI and homered twice to lead the Mitchell offense.

Perillo wasted little time giving the Mariners the lead, sending a two-run homer over the right field fence in the bottom of the first inning. Apostolo also scored a run in the frame on a fielding error by the Hornets.

Perillo duplicated the feat in the second inning, going opposite field once again for a two-run shot. Apostolo also went deep in the game, sending a two-run shot over the center field fence in the fourth.

Lyndon State (2-6 overall) scored its only run of the day on an RBI single by Patrick Hilton in the sixth. It was the only run allowed by Blair (2-0 overall), who pitched his best outing of the spring and allowed only four hits in 6.0 innings. He struck out a season-high eight batters while issuing three walks.

Hornets starter Shane Fleury pitched 3.0 innings and gave up six runs on six hits. He dropped to 0-2 overall on the season.

Mitchell will next host Johnson & Wales University on Wednesday, March 30 at 3 p.m.