Mitchell College Sweeps by Softball, 5-2 and 16-6

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College senior pitcher Courtney Hampton (Westfield, Mass.) struck out 10 batters in game one and sophomore left fielder Kellie McLaughlin (Pittsfield, Mass.) drove in three runs in game two, but Mitchell College earned a pair of come-from-behind New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) victories Saturday afternoon at Cheryl R. Condon Field.

Elms moves to 7-11 on the season, 4-2 in NECC action, while Mitchell improves to 7-11 on the season, 4-2 in NECC action.

Mitchell 5, Elms 2

In the opener, Elms took a two-run lead in the bottom of the third inning when junior center fielder Leah Spring (South Hadley, Mass.) and senior right fielder Jen Killion (Cambridge, Mass.) collected back-to-back singles to start the frame giving Elms runners on first and third. Killion stole second and then advanced to third when junior second baseman Ali Bonavita (Agawam, Mass.) reached on an error allowing Spring to score. Killion then came home on a double-play groundout to give the Blazers a 2-0 lead.

Mitchell plated a run in the top of the fifth on a homer by Chelsea Arpin (Killingly, Conn.) and tied the game in the top of the sixth on an RBI base hit to center by Nikki Hoxie (Winsted, Conn.) that plated Meghan Burke (Bronx, N.Y.).

Stacey Suplicki (New London, Conn.) highlighted a three-run seventh inning for the Mariners with a two-run homer to center field to give Mitchell a 5-2 win in game one.

Elms' sophomore first baseman Ally Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass.) registered two hits for Elms, while Suplicki struck for three hits in game one for the Mariners.

Mitchell starter Marissa Thomas (New London, Conn.) earned the win in the circle, while Hampton suffered the loss despite striking out 10 batters.

Mitchell 16, Elms 6

After the Mariners notched an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Elms answered with a run in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by sophomore third baseman Hayley Zisk (Baldwinville, Mass.) and another run in the second when Spring scored on a Mariners' miscue to even the game at 2-2.

McLaughlin then drove in a pair of runs with a three-bagger to right field in the bottom of the fourth frame to give Elms a 4-2 cushion.

Mitchell rallied with five in the top of the fifth highlighted by a two-run double to right field by Tiffany Person (Waterbury, Conn.), an RBI single by Lindsey Romagnino (Totowa, N.J.) and a run-scoring fielder's choice off the bat of Dylan Riccardi (Elmont, N.Y.).

A two-run single by Suplicki and a two-run single by Riccardi plated four more runs for the Mariners in the top of the sixth, and Mitchell used five hits and three Blazers' errors in the top of the seventh to tally five more runs, giving the Mariners a 16-5 advantage.

Elms, which scored a run in the bottom of the sixth, added its final run in the bottom of the seventh when Spring singled in Alyson Santerre (Thompson, Conn.).

Thomas again earned the win in the circle for Mitchell, while Romagnino was 5 for 5 with two RBI at the dish. Riccardi drove in four runs and Suplicki added three RBI to highlight the win.

McLaughlin chipped in three RBI, while Spring and junior catcher Sarah Buckley (Wilbraham, Mass.) pounded out three hits each in the loss.

Elms' freshman starter Elizabeth Patient (Leicester, Mass.) suffered the loss in the circle for Elms.

Elms returns to non-conference action on Tuesday, April 10 when hosts Anna Maria College at 4:00 p.m. at Cheryl R. Condon Field.