Softball Gets Back on Track with Sweep of SVC

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team posted a pair of wins over Southern Vermont College on Sunday afternoon, winning by final scores of 7-3 and 5-4 in New England Collegiate Conference action at Alumni Field.

Suzanne Vachon went 4-for-4 with three doubles and three RBI to lead the Mariners to victory in the opener. In the second game, Mitchell walked off with a win in the bottom of the seventh when Megan Elphick put a ball into play and Samantha DelConte scored from third base.

Mitchell (9-18 overall, 5-11 NECC) will next host Salve Regina University on Wednesday, April 26 at 3 p.m. Southern Vermont (4-18 overall, 4-12 NECC) returns to action at home against Elms College on Tuesday, April 25 at 3 p.m.

Game 1 – Mitchell 7, Southern Vermont 3

Mitchell took control early as a two-run single by Danielle Autieri made it 2-0 after one inning. Back-to-back two-out doubles by DelConte and Vachon plated another run in the second to extend the lead to three.

The Mountaineers got a run back in the third on an RBI single by Nicole Matthews that scored Carly Gillman. 

A double by Vachon brought in the first run of the Mitchell fourth, and Taylor Duchesneau later followed with a two-bagger of her own to knock in two more. 

Southern Vermont cut the deficit to 6-3 with two runs in the fifth. Lizzy Bench started the scoring with a sacrifice fly while Sarah Billow added an RBI single.

DelConte reached a milestone in the home half of the fifth, recording her 100th career hit with a two-out single to center. She then stole second base and scored on Vachon's third double of the contest for the game's final run.

Duchesneau picked up the win in the circle, allowing three runs (one earned) on nine hits over 7.0 innings. Shea Wilson took the loss for SVC and yielded seven runs on 13 hits while striking out five.

Game 2 – Mitchell 5, Southern Vermont 4

The Mountaineers struck first in the nightcap as Wilson delivered a two-out RBI double to score Brooke Gates in the top of the third. The Mariners wasted a triple by Vachon in the home half but tied the game in the fourth on a grounder by Breanna Gagnon.

With runners on first and second and two outs in the fifth, Matthews put SVC back on top with a two-run double to center. Once again, Mitchell answered right back as Duchesneau and Italia Krick plated runs with base hits to take a 4-3 lead after five.

Taylor Jarosz gave SVC life in the seventh with a one-out double to put the tying run in scoring position. After stealing third, she made another heady base-running play by scoring on a strikeout after the catcher had to throw down to first on a ball in the dirt.

DelConte led off the Mitchell seventh with a double and moved over to third on a wild pitch. One out later, Elphick batted a ball to the second baseman, and DelConte beat the throw to the plate for the winning run.

Vachon, who finished with two hits at the plate, also picked up the win as the starting pitcher. She gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and struck out six. Wilson took the ball once again for SVC and surrendered five runs (four earned) on 11 hits and fanned four.