Softball Drops Two at Lesley

NEWTON, Mass. – The Lesley University softball team continued its perfect stretch in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) play, picking up wins in both ends of a doubleheader with Mitchell College this afternoon at Taylor Field on the campus of Lasell College.

Jordan Thomas got the nod in both games, completing her fourth consecutive shutout in a 4-0 win in game one before picking up her seventh win of the season in a 9-4 victory in game two. The lefty lowered her ERA to a team-leading 2.74 on the year.

Game One: Lesley 4, Mitchell 0

Thomas limited the Mariners to just five hits while striking out six and walking two in her fourth straight complete-game effort. The sophomore was dominant as she allowed just one runner to advance past second base in the game.

Jess Reynolds led the offense for Lesley, going 2-for-3 in the game with a pair of RBI. Angela Mukai finished 1-for-3 and knocked in a run while scoring once.

Freshman pitcher Brittany Fiederlein went the distance for the Mariners, scattering six hits while allowing four runs (one earned) and striking out one. Junior Dylan Riccardi finished with a pair of hits while sophomore Jenny Groman and junior Lindsey Romagnino each finished 1-for-3.

Lesley got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning when Reynolds sent a two-out single to left field, scoring Jodee Doka, who extended her hitting streak to four games with a single of her own.

The Mariners threatened in the top of the third when sophomore Alexandra Blanchette led off the inning with a single and promptly stole second. After Thomas recorded her third strikeout of the game, Groman moved Blanchette to third with a single to right. However, Thomas escaped the jam with a pop-up and a ground-out to keep Mitchell scoreless.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Lynx tacked on two more with a two-out rally. Mekenzi Golden singled to start the inning before moving to third on a sacrifice bunt and a ground out. Golden scored on a RBI single by Mukai, who then advanced to second on an error in the Mitchell infield. Reynolds followed Mukai with her second RBI single of the game to give the Lynx a 3-0 advantage.

Lesley scored an extra insurance run in the fifth to finish the 4-0 win.

Game Two: Lesley 9, Mitchell 4

The second game was an offensive affair as the two teams combined for 13 runs on 21 hits. Once again, Lesley jumped ahead first with two runs in the bottom of the third. With two on and two out, Golden smacked a single up the middle to plate Sarah Apgar and Allison Fountain to give Lesley a 2-0 edge. The pair of RBI gave Golden a conference-leading 27 on the season.

Mitchell put together a rally in the top of the fifth as sophomore Shannon O'Neil led off the inning with a ground-rule double down the right field line. The Mariners would put runners on the corners in the next at bat as classmate Emily Morenzoni reached on an error in the Lynx infield. Fiederlein followed with a RBI single to right to score Mitchell's first run of the game. After a sacrifice bunt by Riccardi moved the two runners into scoring position, the Mariners took advantage of some faulty defense by the Lynx to score three runs. Freshman Samantha Ryan sent a RBI single to center before coming all the way around on a pair of Lesley errors on the play. Morenzoni and Fiederlein both scored as well as Mitchell jumped ahead 4-2.

The lead would not last long, however, as the Lynx scored seven times in the bottom of the inning to reclaim a 9-4 advantage. Mukai sparked the offense with a one-out double to left before scoring on a mishandled ball of the bat of Reynolds. Apgar followed with a RBI single to left before moving to second on a bunt single by Maria Nazzaro. Fountain pitched in with Lesley's third straight hit of the inning, lacing an RBI double down the left field line. 

Carlyn Barker knocked in her first run of the game with a sacrifice fly that scored Nazzaro. Fountain also crossed the dish on the play, taking advantage of a throwing error to give the Lynx a 7-4 edge. Lesley added two more runs in the inning and sent a total of 11 batters to the plate.

Mitchell threatened in the top of the seventh by putting a pair of runners on with two outs, but Nazzaro made a fantastic game-ending catch, diving to her right in center field to seal the 9-4 victory.

Golden powered the Lesley offense with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate with two RBI and a run scored while Mukai and Doka also finished with two hits apiece.

Ryan went a perfect 2-for-2 with a RBI and run scored for the Mariners while Groman also picked up a pair of hits, finishing 2-for-4.

Mitchell will conclude a six-game road swing on Friday, April 18 as it travels to Southern Vermont College for a pair of games starting at 1:00 p.m.