Softball Sets Program Record for Wins with Dominant Sweep of Purchase

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team outscored Purchase College 22-0 on Thursday afternoon, convincingly sweeping both games of a non-conference doubleheader against the Panthers, 9-0 in the opener and 13-0 in the nightcap.

With the sweep, the Mariners picked up their 23rd victory of the season, setting a new single season record in the process by surpassing the 2010 ball club, who went 22-14. The pair of wins also gives Erin Miller 52 in her Mariner career, moving the fourth year head coach past Jillian Ortega and into sole possession for most in program history.

The Mariners dominated Purchase at the plate and in the circle, pounding out 19 hits while allowing just one base hit. Sophomore Emily Reynolds (Somers, Conn.) improved her record to 9-8 on the season by tossing a five inning one hit shutout, walking just one and striking out five.

Hailey Hill (Griswold, Conn.) and Olivia DeCicco (Haverhill, Mass.) split time in the second game, combining to throw five innings of no hit ball, with the lone base runner coming via a walk in the top of the fifth.

The Mariners (23-15 overall, 9-1 NECC) will wrap up their regular season with a New England Collegiate Conference doubleheader on Saturday at Eastern Nazarene with first pitch scheduled for 10:00 am.

Game 1 – Mitchell 9, Purchase 0

The Mariners did not wait long to take a lead in the opening game, tagging Panther starting pitcher Tara Sasso for five runs in the bottom of the second inning, while plating two more in the third, before adding their final two the following frame.

Olivia DeCicco finished 2-2 with a triple, three RBI, and a run scored in the win. Gemma Landry (Lewiston, M.E.) added a double and two RBI for the Mariners, while Emma LaBreck (Rollinsford, N.H.) and Madison Nicynski (Warwick, R.I) also collected doubles in the nine run output.

Sasso worked all four innings in the circle for Purchase, surrendering eight earned runs and five walks, while Kelly Jennings had the lone base hit for the visiting squad.

Game 2 – Mitchell 13, Purchase 0

The red hot Mitchell bats carried right over from the first to the second game, as Nicynski and Brooke Taylor (Montville, Conn.) laced RBI doubles in the bottom of the first and Kayla Goins (Lebanon, Conn.) added a run scoring triple in the frame, making it a 5-0 score after one inning. The second inning saw the Mariners push eight runs across the plate, chasing Purchase starter Tara Sasso from the game and scoring three more runs off Brianna Palermo.

Nicynski went 3-3 with a double, three RBI, and two runs scored, while Hannah Lemke (East Haddam, Conn.) and Emma LaBreck also tallied multi-hit games.

Starting pitcher Hailey Hill earned the win, working three perfect innings with two strikeouts, before DeCicco came on to close the door and secure the combined no-hitter. It was nearly a combined perfect game, however Alexandria Perez led off the top of the fifth inning with a walk and proved to be the lone base runner in the second game of the twin bill.

Tara Sasso was once again the losing pitcher, giving up 11 runs, 10 earned, in just one and a third innings.