Softball Stays Alive with 9-3 Win Over Elms

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Second-seeded Mitchell College (21-14 overall) exploded for four runs with two outs in the second inning en route to a 9-3 win over fourth-seeded Elms College in the 2012 New England Collegiate Conference Softball Championship on Friday afternoon.

With the win, Mitchell advances to Saturday play against the loser of Friday's final game between top-seeded Lesley University and third-seeded Daniel Webster College. Elms was eliminated from the tournament and ended the season with a record of 15-19.

Junior Tiffany Person went 2-for-3 with a run scored, two RBI, a double and a triple to lead the Mariners at the plate. Sophomore pitcher Tricia Tomaselli struck out four in the complete game win.

Already ahead 1-0, Mitchell put the game away in the second inning by scoring four times. Senior Brittany Zaccaria doubled home a run and later scored on a long Lindsey Romagnino home run to left field one batter later. After a Nikki Hoxie RBI double, the Mariners led 5-0 after two and never looked back.

Jennifer Killion singled home a run in the third to get the Blazers on the board before a Leah Spring two-run triple cut the margin to 5-3 in the fourth. Mitchell answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the inning, with Person leading off with a triple to the wall in right. She then scored on a Blazers error, upping the lead to 6-3.

Person struck again with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, doubling to center to score a pair as the Mariners increased the lead to 9-3. Tomaselli wouldn't need the extra cushion, allowing only one more hit over the final two innings to pick up her first career postseason victory.

In addition to the home run, Romagnino had an RBI double in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the fifth. She finished with a team-high four runs driven in for the game.

Mitchell returns to action on Saturday at noon with a chance to earn a spot in the tournament finals.