Mariners Drop Two at The Spring Games

CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Mitchell College softball team dropped a pair of games at The Spring Games on Tuesday, falling 4-0 to Concordia College (Minn.) and 7-3 to Rose-Human Institute of Technology.

Madison Nicynski had hits in both games to lead the Mariners on offense. Kacee Hirst struck out four in the opener and added two more in a relief stint in the nightcap. 

Mitchell (2-4 overall) will close out play at The Spring Games on Wednesday, March 4 against John Jay College and Saint Joseph's College.

Game One - Concordia 4, Mitchell 0

Concordia pitcher Megan Gavin was nearly unhittable in the day's first game. She took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before allowing an infield single to Nicynski, who sent a flare to second base that was just out of the reach of the fielder. Gavin retired 16 batters in a row at one point and finished the game with 11 strikeouts. 

Hirst allowed four runs (three earned) on 10 hits in the loss.

Game Two - Rose-Hulman 7, Mitchell 3

The Mariners got off to a better start in the second game, as a ground out by Sydney Oatway yielded a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Fightin' Engineers responded with a pair of runs in the home half and never trailed again, adding another run in the second to go up 3-1.

Oatway picked up her second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly in the third to again pull the Mariners to within one. However, Rose-Hulman widened the gap with four runs in the bottom of the frame, three of which came after an error extended the inning.

Mitchell's final run of the contest came in the fourth on a double by Nicynski that scored Vanessa Gumbs from first base.

Alyssa Pinkston picked up the win for Rose-Hulman, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out five. Nicynski got the starting nod for the Mariners but gave up two runs and walked four in 1.0 inning of work. Nene Capeles and Hirst saw action in relief, with the latter closing out the final 4.1 innings and striking out two.