Softball Takes Two in Florida

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Mitchell College softball team came away with a pair of wins at The Spring Games on Wednesday morning, downing Penn State Berks by a 9-1 final before prevailing 5-1 against Ohio Wesleyan University.

The Mariners used timely hitting, clean defense and strong outings from starting pitchers Katelyn Lipsky and Emily Reynolds to even their record at 4-4 overall. Lipsky earned her first victory of the season, allowing one run on five hits while striking out seven in 6.0 innings. Reynolds improved to 3-1 by scattering five hits over 7.0 innings and fanning two.

Mitchell wraps up play at The Spring Games on Thursday, March 10 against the University of Pitt-Greensburg and Marywood University.

Game 1 – Mitchell 9, Penn State Berks 1 (6 innings)

Mitchell pounded out 13 hits in support of Lipsky, with all nine batters in the lineup finishing with at least one hit. Jenna Bennett and Reynolds each had two hits and two RBI apiece.

The Mariners put a run on the scoreboard in the first inning thanks to an RBI single by Reynolds. One inning later, Bennett knocked in a pair of runners with a single to left-center to make it 3-0.

A five-run fourth inning gave Mitchell some breathing room at 8-0. Hannah Lemke doubled in a pair of runs to get things started and Gemma Landry followed with an RBI single. Brooke Whitmarsh plated the final two runs of the frame with a double down the left field line.

The Nittany Lions put up their lone run in the fourth, but Mitchell matched it in the sixth on an RBI single by Reynolds. With the eight-run mercy rule in play, Lipsky picked up the final three outs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game early.

Game 2 – Mitchell 5, Ohio Wesleyan 1

The bottom of the Mitchell lineup provided the firepower against the Battling Bishops. Sarah Aviles, Emma LaBreck and Lipsky combined for five hits and drove in all five runs.

After going down 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning, Mitchell rallied back with three runs in the home half and never trailed again. An RBI single by Aviles tied the game at 1-1, and LaBreck followed with a cue shot past the third-base bag to plate the go-ahead run. Lipsky then tacked on an RBI single to give the Mariners a 3-1 edge.

In the sixth, LaBreck added an RBI single and Lipsky made it 5-1 with a sacrifice fly to center. The margin was more than enough for Reynolds, who retired 10 of the last 11 batters she faced.