Softball Swept at ENC in Regular Season Finale
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 2 |
|
Eastern Nazarene | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | X | 8 | 9 | 1 |
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
|
Eastern Nazarene | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | X | 6 | 7 | 2 |
QUINCY, Mass. – The Mitchell College softball team had their six game winning streak snapped on Saturday, suffering a sweep at the hands of Eastern Nazarene College in NECC action, 6-3 in the opener before the Lions rallied for an 8-6 win in the second game of the twin bill.
The Mariners carried a one run lead into the fourth inning in game one, before the Lions tied the score in the bottom of the fourth and went up for good the following inning. Mitchell junior Katelyn Lipsky (Plantsville, Conn.) took the loss in the circle, allowing six runs, including two home runs, in seven innings of work.
Mitchell appeared on the brink of completing a bounce back performance in the second game, until a seven run sixth inning by the Lions, aided by multiple defensive miscues by the Mariners, turned a five run deficit into a two run advantage for the home team.
The Mariners (23-17 overall, 9-3 NECC) will turn their attention to the upcoming New England Collegiate Conference championship tournament, which is slated to begin Friday, May 5, at Eastern Nazarene College.
Game 1 – ENC 6, Mitchell 3
Mitchell wasted little time jumping out to an early lead, scoring the first run of the game when sophomore Brooke Whitmarsh (Portsmouth, R.I.) hit an RBI infield single in the top of the first. The Lions answered in the bottom half of the frame, taking a 2-1 edge on a two-run home run off the bat of Caoimhe Wernsing.
The Mariners tied the game in the second on an RBI single by Hannah Lemke (East Haddam, Conn.), then went ahead 3-2 when Sarah Aviles (Griswold, Conn.) doubled to left-center. The lead was short lived, however, as Darcy Castro homered to tie the game for ENC in the fourth, then the Lions then added three more runs in the fifth, all while containing the Mitchell bats for the remaining innings.
Aviles went 3-4 with a double, an RBI, and one run scored for Mitchell, while Jenna Bennett (Shelton, Conn.) also had multiple hits, finishing 2-3 with a double and a run scored.
Jennelle Munoz was the winning pitcher, throwing a seven-inning complete game, surrendering nine hits and three runs, striking out three.
Game 2 – ENC 8, Mitchell 6
For the second game in a row, the Mariners pushed a run across in the top of the first courtesy of Brooke Whitmarsh, as the catcher laced an RBI single to right field off ENC starter Alexys Giddings. Mitchell proceeded to jump ahead 4-0 in the top of the third thanks to a pair of sacrifice flies and an RBI single off the bat of Hannah Lemke.
Bailey Olaveson belted a solo home run off Mitchell's Emily Reynolds (Somers, Conn.) in the bottom half of the third to make it a 4-1 game, however an Emma LaBreck (Rollinsford, N.H.) homer and a Hemke double increased the Mitchell lead to 6-1 heading into the sixth inning.
A nightmare sixth inning for the Mariners proved to be the difference in the ballgame, as multiple defensive errors allowed one run to score then a two-run single by Yaya Bowden trimmed the ENC deficit to just two runs. A pair of singles followed and loaded the bases for the Lions, which then brought Taylor Brandt to the plate, who proceeded to belt a go-ahead grand slam off Mitchell's Hailey Hill (Griswold, Conn.).
Jennelle Munoz was again the winning pitcher for ENC, coming out of the bullpen to work for innings of two-run ball. Emily Reynolds allowed six runs, although just one of them earned, for the Mitchell, while Hill was charged with the loss.
Hannah Lemke and Brooke Whitmarsh had three hits apiece for the Mariners, while Emma LaBreck was 2-3 with a home run.
