Softball Comes Up Short at Eastern Nazarene

QUINCY, Mass. - The Eastern Nazarene College softball team notched two victories over Mitchell College on Friday afternoon, prevailing 2-1 and 8-0 in New England Collegiate Conference action at Mitchell/McCoy Field.

Kori Bow paced the ENC offense with four hits, three runs scored and one RBI on the day. Dominique Santos contributed four base knocks and scored one run while Rebecca Ashman finished with two hits, three RBI, one run scored and one stolen base.

Nene Capeles led the Mariners with two hits in the twin bill. 

Mitchell (8-19 overall, 1-9 NECC) will next host Dean College on Wednesday, April 24 at 3 p.m.

Game 1 - ENC 2, Mitchell 1

The opening game was a duel between starting pitchers Taylor Duchesneau and Elisabeth Schaffer. Neither team managed a run over the first six innings before both finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh. 

The Mariners struck first and went up 1-0 in the top of the frame. Kaitlin Thibodeau-Corey drew a one-out walk, and pinch runner Krista Guidebeck moved into scoring position on a single by Capeles. One out later, a ground ball to third by Maliah Pabellon resulted in an ENC throwing error that allowed Guidebeck to score.

The Lions clawed back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to walk off with their eighth-consecutive victory. Tylan Onorato scampered home from third on a ground ball off the bat of Ashman for the equalizer. Rebecca Hayner followed with a sacrifice fly to right field; Paige Aguilar nearly cut down the winning run with a strike to the plate, but Bow slid in under the tag to complete the comeback.

Schaffer (16-4 overall) finished with eight strikeouts in her 18th start of the season. Duchesneau (3-11 overall) struck out four while walking one. 

Game 2 - ENC 8, Mitchell 0 (6 innings)

Eastern Nazarene racked up a season-high 15 hits in the nightcap to end the game via the eight-run rule.

The Lions produced five runs in the bottom of the first inning to claim a 5-0 advantage. Lauren Clements laced a single to center field to plate Santos from third base. Bow knocked in Kiley Ozaki with a hard-hit grounder back up the middle, and Ashman flared a double down the right-field line to score Bow and Clements. Hayner followed with a double down the left-field line to drive in Ashman.

The hosts tacked on a run in the fourth to widen the gap to 6-0. Vivianna Coix tagged up and scurried home from third base as Clements hoisted a sacrifice fly to center.

Eastern Nazarene added a score in the fifth to push its lead to 7-0. Coix raked a single up the middle to plate Bow with two outs. The Lions then clinched their ninth win in a row with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning as Clements scored from third on a wild pitch.

Meghan Stanley (2-4 overall) tossed her fifth complete game of the season and fanned one batter. Suzanne Vachon (5-8 overall) struck out three over 5.2 innings of work.