Softball Blasts Wheelock in Regular Season Finale

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Mitchell College softball team claimed a pair of wins on Saturday afternoon to close out the regular season, defeating Wheelock College by final scores of 14-1 and 23-2 at the Pine Manor College Softball Field.

Senior Meghan Burke went 6-for-8 with a pair of doubles and six RBI to lead Mitchell. She and classmate Tiffany Person each recorded their 100th career hits during the doubleheader.

The Mariners pounded out 34 hits and took advantage of 11 Wheelock errors during the twin bill. The second game was halted after five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule. Mitchell improved to 11-23 overall and 8-10 in league play, while the Wildcats fell to 0-27 and 0-16 in the NECC.

The Mariners moved into a three-way tie for fifth place with Bay Path College and Daniel Webster College, and Regis College could join the mix with a pair of wins against Wheelock on Sunday. Only seven teams will qualify for the NECC Championship.

Game 1 – Mitchell 14, Wheelock 1

Mitchell got all the runs it would need in the second inning, scoring seven times. Person keyed the frame with a two-run double for her 100th career hit, while sophomore Lindsey Romagnino, junior Tricia Tomaselli and freshman Bridget Thomson all knocked in a run each with a single.

The Wildcats got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when Jacky Hull led off with a single, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and later scored on a one-out bunt single off the bat of Kim Perault to cut the deficit to 7-1.

The Mariners tacked on another run in the sixth to take an 8-1 advantage when freshman Jenny Groman reached on a two-out single and later scored on a wild pitch. Mitchell added six more runs in the seventh to take a 14-1 cushion. Burke highlighted the inning with a two-run double, while Groman knocked in another run with a double of her own and sophomore Shelby Patton chipped in with an RBI single.

Tomaselli (8-12) allowed just one run on five hits and a walk while striking out eight in seven complete innings to earn the victory for Mitchell. Kiersten Cosgrove gave up 14 runs (13 earned) on 16 hits and nine walks to go with four strikeouts in seven innings for Wheelock.  

Game 2 – Mitchell 23, Wheelock 2

The Mariners wasted no time taking a comfortable lead with four first-inning runs and seven more in the second. Mitchell took advantage of three miscues by the Wildcats and rapped out two hits to aid its offensive output in the first. Romagnino and Person each doubled in a lone run in the second while freshman Shannon O'Neil, Thomson and Burke each singled in runs in the inning as well. Mitchell crossed the plate seven more times in the fourth to take an 18-0 lead, led by two-run singles off the bats of Patton and Burke and RBI doubles from junior Chelsea Arpin and freshman Veyda McVey.

Wheelock got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the frame to make it 18-2. Sara Buscemi and Felicia Baptista both singled with two outs and later scored on an error. The Mariners capped the day's scoring with five runs in the fifth to set the final at 23-2. Junior Ariel Hallisey keyed the inning with a two-run single, while McVey picked up her second RBI for the day with a single. Groman and Burke each forced in runs with bases-loaded walks.

Freshman pitcher Kaisea Caramante improved to 3-10 on the season for Mitchell, yielding two unearned runs on three hits and a walk, while fanning six. Cosgrove (0-18) allowed 11 runs (two earned) in 1.2 innings on seven hits and five walks and added a strikeout in the loss for the Wildcats.

Burke also scored four runs on the day for the Mariners, while Hallisey was 4-for-6 with a double, two RBI, four walks, four stolen bases and three runs scored. Person knocked in four runs on the afternoon, collected four hits and scored three times and Tomaselli picked up four hits, four runs scored and knocked in a run. Perault and Hull led Wheelock with two hits and a double apiece.