Fitchburg State Takes Two From Softball
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fitchburg St. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
|
Mitchell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fitchburg St. | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 3 |
|
Mitchell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – Fitchburg State University used a pair of strong pitching performances to take both games of a softball doubleheader against Mitchell College on Thursday afternoon at Alumni Field.
Starters Brittany Whiting and Kerry Alcott each picked up wins inside the circle for the Falcons. Whiting tossed a shutout in the opener while Alcott gave up just two runs over 6.0 innings in the nightcap. Brianna Uga had a three-run homer in the second game that gave Fitchburg State the lead for good, and Jessalynne Brown added four hits and two RBI to fuel the offense.
Mitchell (5-12 overall) will next play at Lesley University on Saturday, March 29 at 1 p.m. Fitchburg State (6-4 overall) returns to action at home against Salem State University on Saturday at noon.
Game 1 – Fitchburg State 1, Mitchell 0
Each team put a runner in scoring position in the first inning, but both pitchers worked out of trouble to keep the game scoreless. The first frame set the tone as neither Whiting nor Mitchell starter Brittany Fiederlein allowed a run over the first five innings.
With two outs in the sixth, Fitchburg State put runners on base thanks to a walk and hit batter. A single by Corin Swarbrick—coupled with a Mitchell fielding error—was enough to score the game's only run.
Whiting made the most of the small lead, retiring the final six Mitchell batters in order to improve to 2-1 on the season. She allowed only three hits while striking out 10 without issuing a walk.
Fiederlein dropped to 4-5 overall despite not giving up an earned run. She walked and struck out three over 7.0 innings and yielded seven hits.
Game 2 – Fitchburg State 6, Mitchell 4
Fitchburg State scratched across a run in the second inning on consecutive singles by Brown and Amanda Whitelaw. Brown led off the frame with a single to center and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Whitelaw followed with a base knock to drive in Brown and give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.
The score remained the same until the Mariners pushed across a pair of runs in the fifth to take their first lead of the day. Samantha Ryan and Jenny Groman each delivered RBI singles in the frame, and the Mariners could have had two more runs if not for a snagged line drive by first baseman Katelyn Fitzgerald that ended the inning.
Mitchell's lead was short-lived, however, as the Falcons put two runners on with one out in the sixth. Uga then stepped up to the plate and crushed a line drive to left field that barely cleared the fence, her first long ball of the season. Fitchburg State tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the seventh on a two-run single to right-center by Brown, her fourth hit of the game.
Leading 6-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons lifted Alcott in favor of Terri Ferrazzani. The Mariners quickly pounced on the new pitcher and scored runs on a RBI single by Lindsey Romagnino and a sacrifice fly by Emily Morenzoni. Mitchell then had the tying run at the plate with two outs, but Ferrazzani struck out the final batter to preserve the win.
Alcott (2-2 overall) gave up two runs on five hits and struck out eight over 6.0 innings of work. Mitchell starter Tricia Tomaselli allowed five earned runs on 11 hits and struck out one in 7.0 innings.
