Offensive Explosion Helps Softball Split at Lesley

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Mitchell College softball team split a doubleheader at Lesley University on Saturday night, bouncing back from an 8-0 loss in the opener to earn a 17-12 win in the nightcap in New England Collegiate Conference action at St. Peter's Field.

Mitchell (9-13 overall, 5-3 NECC) handed Lesley (12-10 overall, 5-1 NECC) its first conference loss of the season. 

The Mariners return to action at Coast Guard Academy on Wednesday, April 18 at 3 p.m.

Game 1 - Lesley 8, Mitchell 0 (5 innings)

Lesley starter Jordan Day allowed only two hits and struck out six as the Lynx shut out the Mariners in five innings. Courtney Goggin and Ashleigh Acker each finished with two hits and a pair of RBI to lead the offense.

Mitchell starter Shyla Phillips-Krick yielded eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits and struck out one. She also had one of Mitchell's two hits, with Stephanie Adams providing the other.

Game 2 - Mitchell 17, Lesley 12

Mitchell fell behind 5-0 before tying the game with a five-run fourth inning. Phillips-Krick and Megan Elphick got things rolling with back-to-back RBI singles, and a base hit by Reanna Clark tied the game at 4-4. Clark then scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Samantha DelConte.

Lesley scratched out a run in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead, but the Mariners fired back with eight runs in the fifth and never trailed again. Phillips-Krick tied the game with a single to center, and Laurissa Amaker plated a run by drawing a bases-loaded walk to put the visitors on top. Three more runs scored before Danielle Autieri capped the rally with a three-run double to extend the lead to 13-6.

After the Lynx cut the deficit to three in the home half of the fifth, Mitchell added four more runs in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Adams, DelConte and Taylor Duchesneau all supplied RBI singles in the frame while Kaitlin Thibideau-Corey drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

All nine Mitchell batters scored a run and finished with an RBI in the contest. Autieri and DelConte knocked in three runs apiece, and Duchesneau and Clark each scored three times.

Duchesneau picked up the win in the circle, allowing 12 runs (seven earned) while striking out six. She improved to 5-6 overall on the season.