Softball Sweeps Lyndon State

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team picked up a pair of victories over Lyndon State College on Thursday afternoon, winning by final scores of 16-3 and 8-0—both in five innings—in non-conference action at Alumni Field.

Samantha DelConte went 6-for-7 with two doubles, two triples and six runs scored in the doubleheader. Suzanne Vachon went 4-for-6 with a double, triple and four RBI while Megan Elphick and Italia Krick added three hits and three RBI apiece.

Mitchell starter Taylor Duchesneau earned wins in each game, allowing a combined three runs on seven hits in 9.0 innings of work. She also struck out 10 batters and improved to 4-5 on the season.

Mitchell (5-6 overall) will next host Lesley University on Saturday, April 1 at noon. Lyndon State (0-2 overall) returns to action at SUNY Canton on Wednesday, April 5 at 3 p.m.

Game 1 – Mitchell 16, Lyndon State 3 (5 innings)

Lyndon State, playing its first games of the season, saw its pitchers get off to a rocky start. Mitchell took advantage of 10 walks, 12 wild pitches, three passed balls and two hit batters in the opener. The Mariners also pounded out 11 hits in the contest led by a 4-for-4 effort from DelConte.

Mitchell jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Krick had an RBI single in the frame while Nia Brown plated two with a single to left-center. 

The Mariners added two runs in the second, six in the third and three more in the fourth. Duchesneau only ran into trouble in the third when Lyndon State got her for three runs. Kiya DeWitt got things started with an RBI single and later scored on a throwing error. The Hornets plated their final run of the day with a double steal of second and home.

Duchesneau struck out six over 5.0 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits. DeWitt got the start for the Hornets and allowed 13 runs (11 earned) on seven hits while striking out three.

Game 2 – Mitchell 8, Lyndon State 0 (5 innings)

RBI singles by Vachon and Krick gave Mitchell a 2-0 lead after one inning in the nightcap. The Mariners tacked on a run in the third on a sacrifice fly by Danielle Autieri and then added five more in the fourth. DelConte doubled in the first run of the rally while Vachon and Elphick contributed RBI singles. Krick's RBI double made it 7-0 and Autieri scored on a wild pitch for the eight-run margin.

Duchesneau was even better in her second outing of the day, allowing only one hit and striking out four over 4.0 innings. Vachon closed out the game with a scoreless inning of relief to complete the shutout.

Lyndon State's lone hit came off the bat of Hannah Choiniere in the fourth inning. She hit a ball deep in the hole on the left side of the infield and hustled down the line to beat the throw to first.

Ashlynn Royce took the loss in the circle for the Hornets, surrendering six runs (five earned) on six hits.