Softball Drops Two at Coast Guard

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team dropped a doubleheader at Coast Guard Academy on Wednesday afternoon, losing by final scores of 9-7 and 16-4 in non-conference action.

Coast Guard erupted for six runs in the fifth to break a 3-3 tie in the opener, and Audrey Bartz hit a pair of homers and drove in seven runs in the nightcap. Coast Guard improved to 20-8 on the season while Mitchell fell to 9-15. 

Mitchell will next play at Rhode Island College on Thursday, April 19 at 4 p.m. 

Game 1 – Coast Guard 9, Mitchell 7

Mitchell scored an unearned run in the first before a solo homer by Laurissa Amaker, the first of her career, gave the Mariners a 2-0 lead in the third. Megan Elphick's RBI infield single later extended the margin to 3-0.

Coast Guard got on the board in the third on an RBI groundout by Sarah Kemp. The Bears tied the game in the fourth on an RBI double by Casey Cruzpino and an RBI single by Kelli Franza.

The Bears broke the game open with six runs in the fifth. Kayla Sowers gave Coast Guard a 4-3 lead with an RBI single. Franza had an RBI single to center which was misplayed–allowing three runs to score–and Carly Hattman followed with RBI single before Courtney McKenna drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Bears a 9-3 lead.

Mitchell's Shyla Phillips-Krick's sacrifice fly in the sixth cut the deficit to 9-4.

Mitchell did not go quietly in the seventh, scoring on passed ball before RBI singles by Danielle Autieri and Maliah Pabellon pulled the Mariners to within 9-7 with the tying runs on first and second.

Sydney Arendt got a ground out to record her third save of the season. Julia Ferris (10-6 overall) went 6.2 innings was touched for six earned runs and walked one while fanning five to get the win.

Phillips-Krick (4-8 overall) went the distance and took the loss, allowing six earned runs.

Hattman had three hits for Coast Guard while Bartz, Sowers, and Franza each added two hits in the win.

Samantha DelConte (three runs) and Elphick each had three hits for Mitchell while Autieri had two hits and scored a pair of runs.

Game 2 – Coast Guard 16, Mitchell 4 (5 innings)

Bartz was 3-for-3 with a pair of three-run homers and seven RBIs as Coast Guard fell behind 4-0 in the first and scored 16 unanswered runs for the win.

Kaitlin Thibodeau-Corey had an RBI single in the first before Autieri hit a three-run homer to center, her first of the season, to give Mitchell a 4-0 lead.

Bartz went deep in the home half, hitting a three-run shot to center to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Emily Hogan's RBI single in the second tied the game before Bartz belted a three-run shot to right, giving the Bears a 7-4 lead to highlight a five-run second inning.

Bartz's RBI single in the third pushed the Coast Guard lead to 10-4.

Noelle Greenwood drove in her first career run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Hogan laced a two-run double and McKenna had an RBI single before Sowers closed the scoring with a two-run double as the Bears added six more in the fourth.

Bartz and Hogan were both 3-for-3 with three runs scored while Hogan drove in three. McKenna, Hindle, Sowers and Kylie Vaverek each had two hits in the game two win as the Bears finished with 17 hits.

Arendt (10-2 overall) went the distance allowing six hits and struck out a career-high eight to get the win.

Taylor Duchesneau (5-7 overall) went the distance and took the loss for Mitchell.