Softball Drops Two at Newbury
WESTON, Mass. – The Newbury College softball team handed Mitchell College its first conference losses of the season on Saturday, sweeping a New England Collegiate Conference doubleheader by final scores of 3-0 and 2-1.
Newbury right-hander Olivia Kenyon picked up her ninth and 10th victories of the season inside the circle, combining to allow just one run on seven hits while striking out 13 Mariners.
Mitchell (11-13 overall, 10-2 NECC) returns to action against Becker College on Sunday, April 19 at noon.
Game 1 - Newbury 3, Mitchell 0
A pitching duel between Kenyon and Brittany Fiederlein highlighted the first three innings of the opener. However, the Nighthawks finally got to the Mitchell right-hander in the bottom of the fourth. Sheri Liggiero led off with a bunt hit, and three batters later Lindsey Clark ripped a base-hit through the left side of the infield to bring the run home.
It proved to be all Kenyon would need as she kept the Mariners off the scoreboard over the final three innings. The Nighthawks pushed across two insurance runs in the sixth behind RBI singles by Clark and Kaitlin McLaughlin to extend the lead to 3-0.
Kenyon struck out seven batters and allowed only three hits in the complete game effort. Fiederlein yielded three runs on eight hits and struck out seven in defeat.
Game 2 - Newbury 2, Mitchell 1
The Nighthawks (11-11 overall, 6-6 NECC) wasted little time in game two against Mitchell starter Rivkah Berkman. Alyssa Donovan and Liggiero opened the game with back-to-back base-hits before Kenyon helped her own cause with a single through the left side to make it 1-0. Liggiero attempted to score from first on the play, but an excellent relay from left field cut her down at the plate.
With a 1-0 lead, Kenyon returned to the rubber with renewed energy, retiring the next 10 Mitchell batters before a base hit by Fiederlein opened the fifth. The Mariners loaded the bases with only one out, but Kenyon slammed the door by getting a strikeout and ground out to escape the jam.
In the home half of the fifth, Donovan ripped a one-out double into the right-center gap and later came around to score on a throwing error. The extra run proved essential as the Mariners grabbed one back in the top of the sixth. Lindsey Romagnino led off with a double and scored on a two-out single by Fiederlein. The Mariners eventually got the tying run into scoring position but couldn't bring it home.
Berkman allowed one run and four hits over 2.0 innings before turning the ball over to Fiederlein, who gave up a run on five hits in 4.0 innings. Kenyon scattered four hits and struck out six in the win.