Softball Drops Pair of One-Run Games at Regis
WESTON, Mass. – Led by strong defense, effective pitching and timely hitting, the Regis College softball team swept New England Collegiate Conference opponent Mitchell College Saturday afternoon at Regis Field.
The wins moved the Crimson and Gold to 7-5 and 3-1 in league play. The Mariners fell to 2-16 and 1-3 in the conference.
Mitchell returns to action at home against Bay Path University on Sunday, April 10 at noon.
Game 1: Regis 1, Mitchell 0
The Pride earned their second 1-0 victory over the last three games as Katie Cuozzo twirled another gem. The senior hurler pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing only seven hits and one walk while striking out three batters. She also moved to 4-1 on the season and went 1-for-2 at the dish with a stolen base.
Mitchell's top of the lineup went a combined 6-for-12 (.500) against Cuozzo while the rest of the team was just 1-for-18 (.056) against the right hander.
Regis opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second as Alyssa McKinnon led off with a single to left field. A batter later, Cuozzo stepped to the plate and pulled a single down the left field line that advanced her teammate to third base. Alexa Nejaime then roped a single up the middle that scored McKinnon, which ended up being the only run of the contest. Mitchell starter Brittany Fiederlein worked out of trouble, inducing an unassisted groundout to first base and a popup to shortstop to end the frame.
Mitchell had a chance to tie the score in the top of the third when Shannon O'Neil reached base via a walk to load the bases. Fiederlein then stroked a ball on the ground to Brianna Napoleone at short, who rifled a throw home for the force. Cuozzo got Danielle Autieri to line out to left field to leave the sacks packed with the 1-0 lead intact.
Mitchell's final scoring chance came in the top of the fifth, but it was thwarted by a fine defensive play by the Crimson and Gold. With Jacquelyn White on second base, Samantha DelConte lined a ball to Kirbie Garvey in center field. Garvey made the catch and fired back into second to double off White, who was late getting back to the bag. O'Neil then had a chance to plate the tying run but flied out to center to end the inning.
Fiederlein scattered five hits over 6.0 innings and struck out one. Suzanne Vachon, White and DelConte all finished with two hits each.
Game 2: Regis 2, Mitchell 1 – 8 Innings
Lisa Lusardi got the ball in game two for the Pride and delivered 7.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing only five hits and two walks while striking out five. Cuozzo came on in the extra frame, got a double play and struck out one batter. Cuozzo was the pitcher of record as she earned her fifth win of the season.
Regis got the first run of the contest in the bottom of the fourth as Nejaime stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. She hit a dribbler down the first base line that was fielded by Fiederlein, who went to first for the sure out. Kelsey Grimard scored on the play to give the Pride a 1-0 lead.
Mitchell tied the game in the top of the seventh. O'Neil led off with a double and Fiederlein singled and stole second to put runners in scoring position with no outs. Autieri then lofted a ball high into foul territory that was corralled by Michaela Nejaime with a sliding catch, but pinch runner Taylor Duchesneau tagged up from third base to knot the score at 1-1. Lusardi allowed a walk to put runners at the corners with only one out, but she then struck out Nia Brown and got Janelle Rice to ground out to end the inning.
A line drive double play wiped the go-ahead run off second base for Mitchell in the eighth. Regis picked up the winning run in the home half on a two-out single by Allie Petillo that deflected off the pitcher's glove and squirted past the shortstop.
Fiederlein gave up two runs (one earned) on eight hits and struck out two.