Softball Stays Hot, Sweeps Nichols

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team extended its winning streak to six games with a doubleheader sweep of Nichols College on Wednesday afternoon, triumphing by final scores of 4-3 and 5-3.

In the opening game, Gemma Landry powered the offense with three hits that included her third home run in the last five days. Starting pitcher Katelyn Lipsky overcame a rough start to blank the Bison over the last four innings, evening her record at 4-4 on the season.

Mitchell pounded out 12 hits in the second game as nearly the entire lineup got involved. Emma LaBreck supplied three hits while Jenna Bennett and Brooke Whitmarsh added two apiece. Emily Reynolds got the job done in the circle, going the distance to improve to 6-2 overall.

Mitchell (10-6 overall) will next host Fisher College on Saturday, April 2 at noon.

Game 1 – Mitchell 4, Nichols 3

Mitchell fell into a 3-0 hole as Nichols hit up Lipsky early. Samantha Kostek provided a two-run single to get the Bison on the scoreboard in the second inning, and Mackenzie Jackson tacked on an RBI single in the third to extend the margin.

The Mariners broke through for two runs in the bottom of the third to tighten things up. Landry got the ball rolling with a solo homer down the left-field line, and with two outs Bennett drew a walk and scored from first on a double by Whitmarsh.

Mitchell tied the game in the fifth on a two-out infield single by Reynolds that plated Landry from third. The Mariners then took their first lead of the game in the sixth, with Lipsky helping her own cause with a lead-off double. She later scored the go-ahead run on a single to left field by Hannah Lemke.

The Bison put the tying run on base in the seventh but couldn't bring it home. Jackson was on second with two outs when Mackenzie Bourgault singled to right, but she was held at third as the Mariners quickly got the ball back into the infield. Lipsky then got the next batter to ground out to end the game. 

Lipsky gave up three runs on eight hits and struck out five over 7.0 innings. Nichols starter Alyssa Ouellette yielded four runs on 11 hits and fanned two in 6.0 innings of work.

Game 2 – Mitchell 5, Nichols 3

After a fielding error gave Nichols a run in the top of the first, the Mariners evened things up in the bottom thanks to a leadoff double by Landry and a two-out triple by Whitmarsh. Mitchell then pulled ahead behind a three-run third inning that was highlighted by RBI singles from Bennett and Reynolds. 

The Bison got a pair of runs back in the fifth to close the gap. Allie Brown singled and promptly scored on a double to right-center by Chloe Steiniger, and two batters later Jackson crushed a double of her own to make it a 4-3 game.

Mitchell tacked on an insurance run in the sixth as Bennett picked up her second RBI of the game. Reynolds made the margin stand in the seventh, working around a one-out hit to keep Nichols off the scoreboard.

Reynolds scattered eight hits over 7.0 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) while striking out five. Nichols starter Chelsea Indyk gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits in 3.0 innings.