Baseball Opens NECC Play with Split
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New England Col. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
|
Mitchell | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | X | 5 | 5 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New England Col. | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
|
Mitchell | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College baseball team opened conference play with a doubleheader split against New England College on Saturday afternoon.
The Mariners extended their winning streak 10 games with a 5-3 victory in the opener. Camren Varney tossed a complete game and struck out seven while Juan Abreu knocked in the go-ahead runs in the sixth inning.
The Pilgrims came back to post a 4-1 win in the nightcap. Shayne Audet struck out 11 batters and allowed only one run on three hits in the victory. Devin Parsons supplied a two-run triple in the sixth that put NEC ahead for good.
Mitchell (13-5 overall, 1-1 NECC) will next host Wesleyan University on Sunday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m.
Game 1 – Mitchell 5, NEC 3
NEC took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Brady Philibotte led off with a double and later scored on a two-out single by JD Normand. Mitchell matched the run in the home half as a double by Lelo Martinez scored Angel Galindez. The Mariners could have had more in the frame, but starter Shaun Cormier got out of a bases-loaded jam to keep things knotted at 1-1.
Mitchell pulled in front in the third on an RBI double by Hunter Yaworski. In the fourth, John-John Jose led off with a double and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1.
The Pilgrims tied the game on a two-run homer to dead center field by Michael Ciccotelli in the fifth. The long ball was his first of the season.
In the sixth, the Mariners put two in scoring position with one out for Abreu, who singled up the middle to plate both runners. Varney came out in the seventh and retired the side in order to improve to 4-1 on the season. He allowed three runs on seven hits and walked one.
Cormier (2-2 overall) gave up five runs on five hits and struck out four in 6.0 innings of work.
Game 2 – NEC 4, Mitchell 1
The game was scoreless until the two sides swapped runs in the third. Normand gave the Pilgrims the initial lead with an RBI single to right field off starter Chris Gibbs. Mitchell reliever Kevin Vining then came in and limited the damage, getting two quick outs to strand runners at second and third. In the bottom of the frame, the Mariners loaded the bases with one out and tied the game when Matt Falk beat out a double play to score Abreu from third.
The score remained tied until the sixth, when NEC broke through for three runs off Vining. Parsons tucked a ball down the right-field line that was just out of reach of a diving Owen Robbins, and the end result was a two-run triple. Luca Giallongo followed with a single to center to extend the lead to 4-1.
Audet didn't need much help, allowing the one run on only three hits in 6.0 innings. He struck out the side in both the second and fourth innings en route to his highest strikeout total of the season. Reliever Corey O'Day pitched the final frame to pick up his first save of the season.
Gibbs allowed one run on five hits and struck out two in 2.1 innings of work. Vining (0-1 overall) tossed a career-high 4.2 innings and gave up three runs on three hits while striking out six.
