Softball Comes Up Short in Battle of Crosstown Rivals

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team came out on the losing end in both games of a doubleheader against Coast Guard Academy on Wednesday afternoon, falling 4-0 in the opener before losing the nightcap 6-5 on a walk off single.

The first game was a pitcher's duel early between Mitchell's Katelyn Lipsky (Plantsville, Conn.) and Isabelle Shroyer of Coast Guard. Both starters matched each other across four scoreless frames before the Bears erupted for four runs in the fifth and held on for the victory. Lipsky allowed just two earned runs across six innings for the Mariners, walking three and striking out one.

The Mariners took advantage of some sloppy play by the Bears early in the second game to build a lead. The two teams would exchange leads down the stretch, yet Coast Guard got the last laugh after Natalie Beck hit an RBI single to left field in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win. Emily Reynolds (Somers, Conn.) started for Mitchell and lasted four and two third innings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs. Hailey Hill (Griswold, Conn.) came on in relief and worked two scoreless innings until Beck's game winning single.

The Mariners (12-12 overall, 3-1 NECC) will return to New England Collegiate Conference play when they travel to New Hampshire on Saturday, April 15, for a doubleheader against New England College.

Game 1 – Coast Guard 4, Mitchell 0

The Mariner bats had difficult against Shroyer, the Coast Guard starter, who held the visitors to just four hits in seven shutout innings. The Bears broke open a scoreless game in the fifth when two runs scored on a Mitchell error, which then led to two more runs scoring; one on a double by Lillia Farlow and the other on a RBI groundout by Selena Serna.

Serna led the Bears with two hits at the plate, while Brooke Whitmarsh (Portsmouth, R.I.), Lola Worsdale (Stonington, Conn.), Jenna Bennett (Shelton, Conn.), and Olivia DeCicco (Haverhill, Mass.) tallied the four hits for the Mariners.

Game 2 – Coast Guard 6, Mitchell 5

The Mariner bats woke up early in the second game of the twin bill, as three runs came around to score in the top of the first, two of them on a single to right field off the bat of Madison Nicynski (Warwick, R.I.). The Bears pounced back with three runs over the next two innings to tie the score, before Nicynski singled home a run in the third to give Mitchell a 4-3 edge.

Coast Guard responded with two runs of their own in the fifth to jump ahead 5-4, an RBI groundout by Hailey Hill tied the game in the top of the sixth.

With the score tied 5-5, the Bears began the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff single. After two quick outs, a double by Veronica Krystofik advanced the winning run to third. Beck was the next batter and she brought the game to a conclusion with an RBI single to leftfield, scoring pinch runner Grace Beardsley. Dana Walker went the distance in the circle, allowing just one earned run for the Bears, who improve to 18-4 on the season.

Sarah Aviles (Griswold, Conn) added two hits and scored two runs for Mitchell, while Cassandra Roman (New London, Conn.) added a triple in the third inning and came around to score.