Softball Swept at Saint Joseph

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph ran its softball winning streak to a school-record 12 games as the Blue Jays swept Mitchell College 12-4 and 5-0 Wednesday in a non-conference doubleheader.
 
The Blue Jays improved to 25-9 overall; Mitchell fell to 7-21. USJ had a previous-best 10-game winning streak from April 8-19, 1999.
 
USJ junior Ashley Gall went 3-for-6 on the day with three RBI and two runs scored. Mary Sciglimpaglia went 3-for-3 in the late game and has had a hit in her last eight consecutive at bats.
 
USJ broke a scoreless tie in the first game with three third-inning runs. Haley McCall was hit by a pitch, Stephanie Valerio walked and Emily Hummel singled to right to load the bases. All three runners then moved up with McCall scoring on a wild pitch. Gall then delivered a two-run single to left field.
 
Mitchell answered with four runs in the fourth inning. With two out and no one on base, freshman Shannon O'Neil and junior Tricia Tomaselli singled and freshman Bridget Thomson walked to load the bases. Junior Chelsea Arpin followed with an RBI single and a second run scored on the play via a throwing error. Freshman Jenny Groman next had a two-run base hit to right field to put the Mariners ahead 4-3.
 
Saint Joseph came back in the bottom of the fourth and scored nine runs on seven hits and four errors. Winning pitcher Emily Vigue started the decisive rally with a double and eventually scored on an error. McCall drove home Jocelyn Grady with a single to left to make it 5-4. Valerio had an RBI double and Hummel and Hilary LaRosa each delivered RBI singles in the inning.
 
Vigue (4-1, 2.94 ERA) struck out five and allowed two earned runs in four innings to earn the victory.   
 
Hummel (11-4, 3.01 ERA) pitched four, two-hit relief innings to earn the second game victory. She struck out six and walked one. Starter Patti Sciglimpaglia allowed four hits and struck out four in three innings.
 
Mary Sciglimpaglia singled in the second for USJ and eventually scored on a passed ball. In the third, Gall had an RBI double and Mary Sciglimpaglia an RBI single. In the fourth, Shauna Sullivan and Colleen Ecsedy had singles, with Sullivan coming home on a ground out by McCall and Ecsedy scoring on a single from Valerio.
 
Senior Tiffany Person and junior Ariel Hallisey each had two hits for Mitchell.
 
Mitchell will next play at Daniel Webster College for an NECC twinbill on Saturday, April 20 at noon.