Softball Swept by NECC Leader Lesley

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team dropped a pair of games to NECC leader Lesley University on Friday afternoon by final scores of 8-0 and 4-2.

The wins kept the Lynx (24-6 overall, 14-0 NECC) undefeated in conference play and clinched the top seed for next week's NECC Softball Championship. Lesley has earned the right to host the tournament, which begins with quarterfinal games on Tuesday, May 3.

Mitchell (13-17 overall, 10-6 NECC), which has wrapped up regular season play, has qualified for the NECC Championship but must wait to learn its seeding and opponent. Lesley wraps up regular season play by hosting Daniel Webster College for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 30 at 2 p.m.

Game One – Lesley 8, Mitchell 0 (six innings)

Lesley pitcher Cassandra Knox came within one out of tossing a no-hitter but had to settle for her sixth shutout of the season. She struck out seven and walked three in the contest to improve to 11-4 on the season.

The Lynx put up five runs in the first inning to take a quick lead. Lesley had five hits in the frame, but the Mariners compounded their own problems by committing a pair of errors. Alyson Durben plated a pair of runs with a double to right-center and Nicole Mercurio followed with a RBI single to fuel the rally. Durben finished with three hits—all doubles—in the contest.

Lesley tacked on a run in the fourth when Emily Mangiaratti led off with a double and scored on a ground out by Gabrielle Brixey. The Lynx plated another pair of runs in the sixth to go up 8-0, with both runs scoring on a single by Ashley Cunningham.

Mitchell sophomore Tiffany Person broke up the no-hitter in the bottom of the sixth by beating out a grounder to shortstop. The hit loaded the bases for the Mariners, but Knox escaped without allowing a run by getting a ground ball to end the game.

Junior Marissa Thomas took the loss for the Mariners, allowing eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits. She dropped to 10-7 on the season.

Game Two – Lesley 4, Mitchell 2

Lesley pitcher Jennifer Dorval cruised through six innings before running into trouble in the seventh. Mitchell trailed 4-1 heading into the bottom of the frame but loaded the bases and brought a run home before the Lynx handed the ball back to Knox. She then ended the threat by retiring the next two Mariners and earned her first save of the season.

The Lynx took a 2-0 lead in the third inning as Dorval helped her own cause with a two-run single. Mitchell answered back with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame on a RBI double by freshman Tricia Tomaselli that scored junior Shannen Pelletier.

Lesley extended the lead to 4-1 with a pair of runs in the fifth. Dorval doubled in a run and Cunningham followed with a single to center to bring her around for the second. Mitchell's run in the seventh came on a RBI single to right by junior Nikki Hoxie.

Dorval, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI at the plate, improved to 12-2 inside the circle. She allowed two runs on five hits and struck out 14 in 6.1 innings of work. Tomaselli (3-10 overall) took the loss for the Mariners, allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking six.