Softball Splits With Norwich

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team split a pair of games against Norwich University on Saturday afternoon in non-conference action.

The Mariners used a three-run fifth inning to post a 3-1 victory in the opener. Starting pitcher Katelyn Lipsky picked up her second win of the season, holding the Cadets to one run on three hits while striking out eight.

Norwich fired up the bats in the second game and recorded 15 hits to coast to a 12-4 win in five innings. Dara Kelly and Laura Deaton each finished with three hits in the contest while Allison Northup knocked in three runs and earned the win in the circle.

Mitchell (2-4 overall) will next host Trinity College on Tuesday, March 23 at 3 p.m. Norwich (1-1 overall) returns to action at Johnson & Wales University on Saturday, March 27 at noon.

Game 1 – Mitchell 3, Norwich 1

Norwich took an early 1-0 lead courtesy of an RBI triple by Kelly that scored Nicole Perault. The Cadets had two more chances to increase the margin, but Lipsky limited the damage by striking out the next two batters to escape the threat.

Pinch hitter Hannah Lemke dropped a single into shallow left field to ignite Mitchell's big fifth inning. The hit, which broke up a no-hit bid for Annika Beebe, was the first of five consecutive knocks by the Mariners. Lipsky followed with a double to tie the game at 1-1, and Ismarie Marrero plated the go-ahead run with a double of her own. Laurissa Amaker then singled through the left side to drive in the final run of the frame, leaving the home team with a 3-1 advantage.

Lipsky took care of the rest, pitching around an error in the sixth inning and a single in the seventh to keep Norwich off the scoreboard. She improved to 2-2 on the season in the complete-game performance.

Beebe gave up three runs on five hits in 5.0 innings and struck out three.

Game 2 – Norwich 12, Mitchell 4 (5 innings)

Northup helped her own cause in the first, plating a run on a ground out to give the Cadets another early 1-0 advantage. Mitchell tied the game in the second on an RBI single by Amaker and went ahead 2-1 in the third when Nene Capeles scored on a throwing error.

Norwich sent 11 batters to the plate in the fourth inning and took over the lead for good with seven runs on eight hits. A two-run double by Liliana Rolfe tied the score at 3-3, and Kelly followed with an RBI single up the middle to put the Cadets in front for good. Deaton and Caitlin Dailey later plated runs with base hits while Maggie Rasmussen capped the rally with an RBI double.

Norwich built the lead to double digits in the fifth, getting a two-run double from Northup along with an RBI triple by Deaton. Perault's bunt single brought home the final run of the frame and put the Cadets ahead 12-2.

A two-run double by Jossette Madison in the bottom of the fifth brought Mitchell to within eight, but Northup settled down to get the final out and earned her first win of the season. She yielded four runs (two earned) on seven hits and struck out two over 5.0 innings.

Mitchell starter Hailey Hill lasted 4.1 innings and gave up 11 runs on 14 hits while fanning two.