Softball Nabs First Conference Win

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team earned a split against New England College on Tuesday afternoon in a New England Collegiate Conference clash.

The Pilgrims took the opener by a 5-1 final as starting pitcher Taylor Barbour tossed a gem. She took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and allowed only one hit in the contest, improving to 4-0 on the season.   

The Mariners held on for an 8-7 victory in the nightcap to earn their first conference win. Maliah Pabellon hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning to give Mitchell a four-run lead, and starting pitcher Katelyn Lipsky made the margin stand to earn her third win of the year. 

Mitchell (3-10 overall, 1-5 NECC) will next play at Lesley University on Friday, April 16 at 5 p.m. NEC (7-1 overall, 3-1 NECC) returns to action at Eastern Nazarene College on Saturday, April 17 at noon.

Game 1 – NEC 5, Mitchell 1

After two scoreless innings, NEC broke through with a four-run third to take control. Destiny Helmedach drove in a pair of runs with a single up the middle and later scored on a ground out by Destiny Cardona. An RBI single by Kaitlyn Simpson completed the rally and left the Pilgrims with a comfortable lead.

Emily Nelson tacked on an RBI single in the fourth, although Barbour wouldn't need the extra run support. Mitchell's lone run came in the sixth with the aid of a pair of errors and a single by Hannah Lemke. 

Barbour, who was four outs away from the no-no, finished with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Game 2 – Mitchell 8, NEC 7

Mitchell fell behind 1-0 in the opening frame but responded with a pair of runs in the home half thanks to a two-run single by Sarah Aviles. The Grims answered with two runs in the second to take back the lead. Cameron LeClaire scored on a wild pitch to tie the game before Monica Andrade laid down a bunt to score Simpson from third. 

An RBI single by LeClaire padded the NEC lead to 4-2 in the third, but Mitchell fired back with three runs in the bottom of the frame to pull in front once again. The Grims committed a pair of costly errors that led to all three runs.

The Mariners clung to the 5-4 lead until the fifth, when one-out singles by Laurissa Amaker and Aviles set the table for Pabellon. She crushed her second homer of the season over the left-field fence to give Mitchell some breathing room.

NEC got a run back in the sixth on an RBI single by Cardona, but the real threat came in the seventh. The Grims scored a pair of runs on a Mitchell error to pull within one and had the tying run at first base with no outs. However, the Mariners made a key defensive play to reduce the pressure, as a Lemke caught a line drive in right field and doubled up the runner at first. Lipsky then got the final batter to fly out to center to end the game.

Lipsky improved to 3-5 with the win, allowing seven runs (five earned) on eight hits while fanning four.