Softball Loses to Elms, Rebounds Against Bay Path
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Mitchell College softball team dropped
its first game on Friday at the 2010 NECC Championship, falling 4-0
to second-seeded Elms College. The Mariners then played
fourth-seeded Bay Path College and picked up a 5-0 win to remain
alive in the double-elimination tournament.
Third-seeded Mitchell (22-13 overall) will play Elms once again in
the next round. All games have been canceled for Saturday due to
expected rain, so the tournament will conclude on Sunday. The
winner of the Mitchell/Elms game will advance to the title game to
face top-seeded Lesley University. All games are being held on the
campus of UMass Boston.
Game 1 – Elms 4, Mitchell 0
Courtney Hampton tossed a two-hitter as Elms defeated Mitchell for
the third time in eight days. The Blazers scored two runs in the
second inning and added two more in the fourth to take control.
Hampton finished with eight strikeouts over 7.0 innings and
didn't walk a batter.
Sophomore Kristina Torres got the start for Mitchell and
surrendered four runs on eight hits while striking out and walking
two. Sophomore Nikki Hoxie (Winsted, Conn.) and senior Michele Anderson picked up hits for the Mariners.
Game 2 – Mitchell 5, Bay Path 0
Mitchell's offense bounced back to score five runs on seven
hits against the Wildcats. Junior Jen Bordonaro and freshman
Meghan Burke led the attack with two hits apiece.
Mitchell broke the game open with a four-run third inning. Hoxie
drove in the first two runs of the game with a bases-loaded single,
and sophomore Stacey Suplicki followed with a sacrifice bunt
to plate another. Hoxie later scored the final run of the frame on
a failed pickoff attempt. The Mariners added an insurance run in
the fifth when Suplicki tripled and scored thanks to an error on
the play.
Torres (11-8 overall) made the start inside the circle for the
second straight game and notched her sixth shutout of the season.
She allowed only three hits over 7.0 innings and struck out
nine.