Softball Falls to Top-Seeded Lesley University, 6-1 and No. 2 Mitchell College, 9-3

WELLESLEY, Mass. – The fourth-seeded Elms College softball team suffered a 6-1 loss to top-seed Lesley University and a 9-3 loss to No. 2 Mitchell College in double-elimination, semifinal action of the 2012 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship tournament on Friday afternoon at Wellesley College.

With the two losses, Elms concludes its season 15-19 overall. Tournament host Lesley (26-10), Mitchell (20-14) and third-seeded Daniel Webster (22-17) will continue in the double-elimination tournament.

No. 1 Lesley University 6, No. 4 Elms 1

In Friday morning's first game, Lesley plated two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to help spark a 6-1 victory.

Leading 2-0 after three and a half innings, the Lynx added to its lead when Sarah Apgar (Andover, N.J.) singled to lead off the frame and then came home on a double down the left field line by Jenna Fralick (Woburn, Mass.). Emily Mangiaratti (Amherst, Mass.) then legged out a triple to drive in Fralick and set the score at 4-0 in favor of Lesley.

In the bottom of the fifth stanza, Nicole Mercurio (Wakefield, Mass.) lifted a two-run homer to left center field to give the Lynx a 6-0 advantage.

Elms pushed across a run in the top of the seventh when senior shortstop Amanda Alvarado (Springfield, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice and then scored on a two-out double by sophomore first baseman Ally Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass.).

The Blazers were held to just four hits in the game as Lesley starting pitcher Jennifer Dorval (Franklin, Mass.) struck out four batters to earn the victory and improve to 15-2 in the circle. The Lynx also received two hits each from Mangiaratti, Fralick and Apgar.

Elms' senior pitcher Courtney Hampton (Westfield, Mass.) scattered nine hits and allowed four earned runs (six total) in the losing effort and is now 11-10 on the season.

No. 2 Mitchell 9, No. 4 Elms 3

In the second game, Mitchell took an early 5-0 lead highlighted by a four-run second frame that featured run-scoring doubles by Brittany Zaccaria (White Plains, N.Y.) and Nikkie Hoxie (Winsted, Conn.) and a two-run homer by Lindsey Romagnino (Totowa, N.J.).

Elms got a run back in the top of the third inning when senior left fielder Jennifer Killion (Cambridge, Mass.) singled in junior center fielder Leah Spring (South Hadley, Mass.) before Spring later connected for a  two-run triple in the top of the fourth inning to set the score at 5-3.

The Mariners went ahead 6-3 when Tiffany Person (Waterbury, Conn.) led off the bottom of the fourth stanza with a triple and then scored when Zaccaria reached on an error. Mitchell then loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning and Person drove in a pair of runs with a double to center field to highlight a three-run inning that lifted the Mariners' lead to 9-3.  

Hampton suffered the loss in the circle for the Blazers and concludes the season 11-11 overall.

Mitchell starter Tricia Tomaselli (Guilford, Conn.) improves to 10-6 on the season.

Killion and Hampton were both named to the NECC all-tournament team.