Softball Sweeps SVC on Senior Day

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team won by final scores of 8-6 and 10-0 in a New England Collegiate Conference showdown with Southern Vermont College on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.

In the opener, Mitchell benefitted from 10 SVC errors and pulled ahead for good behind a three-run fifth inning. Senior Tiffany Person and freshman Shannon O'Neil each finished with a pair of hits to lead the Mariners. Emily Fleming had two hits and drove in three runs while Erika Garay finished with three hits to pace the Mountaineers.

Freshman Kaisea Caramante allowed only three hits and recorded her first career shutout to lead the Mariners to victory in the second game. O'Neil and sophomore Lindsey Romagnino each recorded two hits and two RBI while senior Tricia Tomaselli connected on a pair of hits and drove in three runs.

Prior to the games, the Mariners honored Person and classmate Meghan Burke with a special senior day ceremony.

Mitchell (9-21 overall, 5-8 NECC) will next play at Daniel Webster College on Tuesday, April 23 at 3 p.m.

Game 1 – Mitchell 8, Southern Vermont 6

The Mountaineers loaded the bases with one out in the first and plated two runs on a sacrifice fly to right field by Julie Burnley. Garay scored from third base on the sac fly while Fleming moved to third and scored when the relay throw overshot the bag.

SVC didn't hold the lead for long as Mitchell struck back for two runs in the home half of the first to tie it up. Person and junior Ariel Hallisey each reached base to give the Mariners runners with no outs, and both ended up scoring on a passed ball and subsequent throwing error.

A three-run second inning put the Mariners on top 5-2. Freshman Bridget Thomson scored from third on a wild pitch to give Mitchell its first lead of the day. Romagnino then followed with a single to left that brought home Person, and a fielding miscue on the play allowed Hallisey to score all the way from first.

Fleming helped her own cause in the fourth as the Mountaineers fought their way back into the game. After Southern Vermont loaded the bases with two outs, she delivered a double to left field that brought in all three runners and tied the score at 5-5.

Mitchell pulled ahead for good in the fifth, scoring three runs on two hits and three SVC errors. O'Neil led off the frame with a double and later scored the go-ahead run.

The Mountaineers got a run back in the sixth and brought the tying run to the plate with only one out but failed to capitalize. Southern Vermont then put two runners on base in the seventh but couldn't push any runs across.

Tomaselli struck out a season-high seven batters and improved to 7-12 inside the circle for the Mariners. She allowed six runs (four earned) on 10 hits and walked three in 7.0 innings.

Fleming took the loss (2-11) and yielded eight runs (two earned) on nine hits over 6.0 innings. She also struck out three without issuing a walk.

Game 2 – Mitchell 10, Southern Vermont 0 (5 innings)

Mitchell jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Person led off with a double and scored on a double off the left field fence by Romagnino. O'Neil then laced a single to right-center to bring Romagnino around and gave the Mariners a 2-0 lead.

Mitchell sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning and broke the game open with six runs. Thomson and freshman Jenny Groman ignited the rally with back-to-back singles up the middle to start the frame. Later, Hallisey and O'Neil each drew bases-loaded walks to force in runs, and Romagnino plated another with a sacrifice fly to left. Tomaselli also provided a two-run single up the middle to highlight the inning.

The Mariners pushed across another pair of runs in the fourth, but Caramante (2-9) wouldn't need the extra support. She faced only 18 batters over 5.0 innings and struck out three while walking one.

SVC pitcher Hayley McDonald allowed eight runs on seven hits and walked four over 2.0 innings. Fleming tossed 2.0 innings of relief and also struck out a pair.