Softball Takes One of Two in Florida Doubleheader

NAPLES, Fla. – The Mitchell College softball team came away with a split in their doubleheader at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic on Wednesday, rolling past SUNY Cobleskill 9-2 before falling 5-2 against Westfield State. 

The Mariners broke their first game open by plating four runs in both the third and fourth inning, while Katelyn Lipsky (Plantsville, Conn.) delivered another gem in the circle, allowing only two hits and one run across four innings. Mitchell pounded out 11 hits in the second game of the twin bill, but were only able to muster a pair of runs against Westfield starter Stephanie Scoville, who surrendered only a pair of runs across seven innings. 

The Mariners (5-3 overall) will wrap up their 10 game Florida tilt with another doubleheader on Thursday, March 16, facing Alfred State College at 1:00 pm and Nazareth College at 3:00 pm. 

Game 1 – Mitchell 9, SUNY Cobleskill 2

After a pair of quiet innings in the opener, the Mariners busted through with four runs in the top of the third to take a lead which they would not relinquish. 

A passed ball plated the first run, before Sarah Aviles (Griswold, Conn.) drove in another on a ground out to the shortstop, before Emma LaBreck (Rollinsford, N.H.) and Brooke Taylor (Uncasville, Conn.) came through with back to back RBI singles. In the top of the fourth, the Mariners came back out swinging, scoring four more runs, highlighted by a pair of triples from Gemma Landry (Lewiston, M.E.) and Brooke Whitmarsh (Portsmouth, R.I.). 

Lipsky, who earned her second victory of the season in the circle, was relieved by Hailey Hill, who dealt three innings of one run ball out of the bullpen. Landry finished a team best 2-3 with an RBI and one run scored. 

Game 2 – Westfield State 5, Mitchell 2

In a game which featured 25 combined hits, runs were not as easy to come by, as Westfield State carried a 1-0 edge into the bottom of the third when Whitmarsh tied the score with an RBI single to right field. Bennett singled home a run the next inning to give the Mariners their only lead of the ballgame, as the Owls stormed back with four runs in the top of the seventh off Mitchell starter Emily Reynolds (Somers, Conn.). 

Sarah Aviles finished 2-4 with a run scored at the plate, while Emma LaBreck also collected two hits for the Mariners. Reynolds suffered the loss, pitching six and one third innings, allowing 12 hits and five earned runs. 

Sarah Bingham went 3-5 with two RBI and a run scored for Westfield State.