Starting Pitching Fuels Sweep of New England College

HENNIKER, N.H. -- Mitchell College won by final scores of 5-0 and 6-1 over New England College on Friday afternoon in New England Collegiate Conference baseball action at Laurie Cox Memorial Field.

In a week where the Mitchell bullpen showed its depth, it was starting pitchers Ryan Solimine and Roland Thivierge who stole the spotlight in the sweep. Each went the distance as the Mariners quieted a Pilgrims lineup that entered the day hitting .341 as a team.

Mitchell extended its winning streak to 11 games and improved to 25-6 overall (9-1 NECC). It also marked the first time the Mariners have enjoyed two streaks of 10 or more wins in the same season in Beausoleil's eight years at the helm.

Mitchell will next host Lesley University on Monday, April 22 at 1:30 p.m.

Game 1 - Mitchell 5, NEC 0

Solimine (6-1 overall) tossed a four-hit shutout and struck out six without issuing a walk, and he never allowed a runner past second base. After giving up a double to the leadoff man in the first, he retired the next eight NEC batters he faced and didn't hit trouble again until the fifth. In that inning he yielded a two-out double but got out of the inning unscathed, and he retired the side in order in the sixth and seventh to seal the victory.

Mitchell jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first thanks to an RBI double by Dougie DelaCruz and an RBI single by Steven Pagan. The duo then played a role in a two-run sixth inning that doubled the lead. Pagan plated a run with a sacrifice fly while DelaCruz later scored on a wild pitch.

Justin Johnson knocked in an insurance run in the seventh with a double that scored pinch runner Jeremy Santos. 

Game 2 - Mitchell 6, NEC 1

Thivierge (7-0 overall) nearly matched his teammate in the nightcap, yielding only one unearned run on six hits while striking out five and walking two. He got stronger as the game went on, retiring 10 of the final 11 batters he faced to record his third complete game of the season. 

The Mariners went up 3-0 in the second inning behind sacrifice flies by Johnson and Steve Cochrane and an RBI single by Eric Marriott. Mitchell then loaded the bases in the fourth and plated a pair of runs without swinging the bat, as Pagan was hit by a pitch and Peter Abate drew a walk to make it 5-0. Cochrane drove in the game's final run in the fifth. 

The Pilgrims had a chance to get back into the game in the home half of the fourth, loading the bases with only one out. NEC ended up with just one run -- with the aid of a throwing error on an attempted double play -- before Thivierge got out of the inning with a strikeout.

All seven of Mitchell's hits went for singles. Markus Melendez went 3-for-5 at the plate while Marriott also added a pair of hits.