Softball Drops Two to Newbury
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Newbury | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 0 |
|
Mitchell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Newbury | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
|
Mitchell | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader against Newbury College on Saturday afternoon, losing by final scores of 6-5 and 8-2 in New England Collegiate Conference action at Alumni Field.
Sheri Liggiero went 4-for-7 at the plate on the day for the Nighthawks and finished with a double, two RBI, four runs scored and two stolen bases. She also played stellar defense in center field to help starting pitcher Olivia Kenyon to a pair of wins. Kenyon threw all 14.0 innings of the doubleheader and struck out a total of eight batters while walking only one.
Sophomore Emily Morenzoni and freshman Samantha Ryan each had three hits and drove in two runs to lead the Mariners.
Mitchell (9-14 overall, 5-3 NECC) will next play at Becker College on Sunday, April 13 at noon. Newbury (9-13 overall, 5-3 NECC) will next host Southern Vermont College on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Game 1 – Newbury 6, Mitchell 5
Newbury pushed across a run in the first inning to jump out to a quick lead. Elizabeth Fox led off the game with a single up the middle and later scored from third on a ground ball by Naomi Ricciotti, who hustled down the line to beat out a double play.
Mitchell got the run back in the home half of the first on a solo homer by junior Lindsey Romagnino, her first of the season. The blast cleared the left field fence with ease and tied the game at 1-1.
The Nighthawks responded with two runs in the second to retake the lead. Katie Haney led off with a stand-up double to center, moved to third on a bunt single by Emily Humphries and scored on a Mitchell throwing error. Fox later delivered a two-out RBI single to left field to give Newbury a 3-1 edge.
Humphries tacked on a solo home run in the fourth to pad Newbury's lead. She lofted a ball over the left field fence for both her and the team's first long ball of the season.
A one-out double by Morenzoni in the bottom of the fourth put a runner in scoring position for the Mariners, and junior Dylan Riccardi followed with a line drive that kicked up chalk down the left field line to plate the run. Mitchell then loaded the bases with two outs on consecutive singles by Ryan and sophomore Alexandra Blanchette, though Kenyon worked out of the jam with the 4-2 lead intact.
The Nighthawks padded the margin with two more runs in the fifth on the strength of three hits and a Mitchell fielding error. With runners at first and second and two outs, Alyssa Donovan singled through the right side to set the runners in motion. The ball ended up getting to the fence in right and allowed both runners to score to give Newbury a 6-2 lead.
Mitchell came away with a run in the fifth after loading the bases with two outs and Riccardi hit a hot shot to third that brought in a run. But as she did all day, Kenyon escaped further damage by getting a ground ball to short to end the threat.
A diving catch by Liggiero prevented a Mitchell run in the sixth. Blanchette led off the inning with a single to center and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Romagnino sent a fly ball into the right-center gap that Liggiero ran down and laid out for to record the third out.
Mitchell made it interesting in the seventh, scoring a pair of runs to trim the deficit to 6-5 and putting the winning run on second base. Ryan came through with a big hit in the frame, doubling to left field with the bases loaded to bring in both runs. Newbury escaped with the win, however, when Kenyon got the final batter to pop up a bunt and then doubled the runner off third to end the game.
Kenyon struck out five without issuing a walk and allowed five runs on 12 hits. Mitchell starter Brittany Fiederlein gave up five earned runs on nine hits and struck out three over 7.0 innings.
Game 2 – Newbury 8, Mitchell 2
Ricciotti gave Newbury a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a single to center that scored Liggiero from second base. Mitchell responded with two runs in the home half to take its first lead of the day, as Morenzoni plated both runs with a double down the right field line.
Haney's speed on the base paths helped Newbury tie the game at 2-2 in the second. She led off the frame by legging out an infield single and later moved from first to third on a sacrifice bunt. Tory Hoemke then came through with a hard-hit single to third that scored Haney with the tying run.
The Nighthawks took the lead back with a run in the third. A leadoff walk to Liggiero proved costly for the Mariners, as she later scored from third base on a ground out by Ricciotti. In the bottom of the frame, Liggiero made another great catch in center—this time over her shoulder while running back to the track—to keep the Mariners off the board.
A two-run double by Liggiero put Newbury up 5-2 in the fourth. The Nighthawks then tacked on three insurance runs in the seventh that were aided by a pair of errors.
Kenyon (8-9 overall) allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out three in the win. Mitchell starter Tricia Tomaselli yielded five runs on six hits and walked two while striking out one in 4.0 innings. Fiederlein tossed 3.0 innings of relief and allowed one earned run on three hits and struck out three.
