Mitchell College Softball Blanked in Twin Billing at Salve Regina

Recap, photo courtesy of Mitchell College

NEWPORT, R.I. -- The Mitchell College softball team saw its eight-game winning streak snapped at Salve Regina University on Thursday afternoon, falling by 8-0 scores in a non-conference doubleheader at Toppa Field.

The Mariners had a tough time at the plate and finished with only four hits on the day. Maliah Pabellon provided Mitchell's only hit in the opener, a single to center field in the third inning. She also had one of three hits in the nightcap along with Samantha DelConte and Taylor Duchesneau.

Salve Regina batters banged out 23 hits, 11 for extra bases, and did not strike out in either of the two games. Lindsey Florent had five hits including two triples and a double to lead the Seahawks offense. Julia Coute picked up her first collegiate win by hurling five innings of shutout ball in the opener; a six-run fourth inning from her offense put the game out of reach. Ashley D'Antuono and Courtney Latta combined for the win in the second game and extended Salve's shutout streak to 17 innings over last four games.

Mitchell (8-8 overall) will next play at Elms College on Sunday, April 8 at noon.

Brown University McGregor Homers, Waters Throws Shutout in Softball's 4-0 Win over Penn

Recap, photo courtesy of Brown University

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Senior Annie McGregor hit her second home run of the season, and sophomore Emily Waters pitched her first career complete-game shutout as Brown University softball blanked the University of Pennsylvania, 4-0, on Sunday afternoon at the Brown Softball Field.

In the series finale of a three-game set, the Bears (8-14, 2-4 Ivy) plated two runs in the bottom of the third inning and two runs in the last of the fourth, while shutting out the visiting Quakers (7-15, 4-5 Ivy) for the first time since 2004.

Waters (Northridge, Calif.) threw a complete-game 7.0 innings, allowing no runs on four hits in her first complete game of the season and second of her career in the win (2-5).

McGregor (Carlsbad, Calif.) tallied two RBIs on her 12^th career home run while freshman Anya Schmitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.) went 2-for-3 with a run. Junior Meghan Wimmer (Boothwyn, Pa.) brought home a run with a sacrifice fly.

In the top of the third, Brown junior center fielder Ashli Lotz (Austin, Texas) kept the game scoreless as she gathered a ball hit to center field and delivered a strike to the plate for the outfield assist.

The Bears followed with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. A sacrifice bunt from sophomore Kaitlin Okimoto (Burbank, Calif.) put pressure on the defense, allowing a run to score on an error before Wimmer lifted her sacrifice fly to center field.

After junior Annie Scarangella (Tucson, Ariz.) walked in the bottom of the fourth, McGregor drove her two-run home run to center field as her blast tipped off a Penn glove and over the outfield wall.

For Penn, Ciana Curran took the loss (0-1), giving up two runs on two hits with two strikeouts over 3.0 innings in the start. Mason Spichiger permitted two runs on two hits over 3.0 innings in relief.

Next, Brown plays at Cornell for a three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 7 beginning at 12:30 p.m. and a single game on Sunday, Apr. 8 at 12:30 p.m.

Mitchell College Softball Stays Hot, Sweeps Southern Vermont

Recap, photo courtesy of Mitchell College

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team swept a doubleheader from Southern Vermont College on Friday afternoon, winning by final scores of 9-0 and 14-1 in New England Collegiate Conference action at Alumni Field.

SVC batted as the home team in both contests as the doubleheader was originally scheduled to be Southern Vermont's home opener.

The Mountaineers (0-14 overall, 0-2 NECC) are back on the road Saturday for their next twin bill with SVC visiting Dean College for a 1 p.m. Conference start. Mitchell (6-6 overall, 2-0 NECC) is also in league action on Saturday with a 12 p.m. doubleheader at home against Wheelock College.

Game 1 – Mitchell 9, Southern Vermont 0 (5 innings)

The Mariners went up early with three runs in the top of the first, and they padded the cushion through their next four at bats while holding SVC to just a pair of hits.

Southern Vermont's Shea Wilson and Taylor Jarosz each went 1-for-2 at the plate. Wilson struck out five batters from the circle during the loss (0-7 overall).

Mitchell's Suzanne Vachon went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI while Stephanie Adams was 2-for-3 with a pair of extra-base hits, three RBI and a run scored.

Mitchell starter Taylor Duchesneau went the distance from the rubber, registering four strikeouts in the complete-game shutout (3-3 overall).

Vachon roped a triple down the line in left to get her team on the board in the top of the first before Adams knocked her in on an ensuing ground-rule double in the same direction. Vachon then tallied another RBI in the second when she singled through the left side to make it 4-0.

Mitchell extended the separation with three runs in the fourth—two of those coming around on an Adams triple down the left field line. The Mariners added another two runs in the top of the fifth before closing out their first NECC win of the year.

Game 2 – Mitchell 14, Southern Vermont 1 (5 innings)

The Mariners used a pair of five-run frames in the front-end of game two for a 10-0 advantage before Southern Vermont got across the plate with a lone run in the home half of the third. Mitchell notched four more runs in the fifth, however, while keeping the Mountaineers from climbing back into it.

SVC's Emma Griffith went 2-for-2 from the batter's box while Erin Girard was 1-for-2 with the stick. Girard was tagged with the loss (0-6 overall) from the circle.

Five Mariners had a multi-hit game including Megan Elphick, who was 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and two runs scored. Right-hander Shyla Phillips-Krick tallied a pair of doubles to go 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs batted in and two runs scored.

Phillips-Krick allowed just three hits and struck out one in the win (3-3 overall); the lone run she gave up was unearned.

After neither side could score in the first, Mitchell chalked up a five-spot in the second with the help of five singles. With the bases loaded and one out, Elphick pulled one through the left side to plate a pair. Another pair of run-scoring base hits would follow for the Mariners to put up all they needed for the victory.

Mitchell added five insurance runs in the third—with the help of a two-run homer by Elphick over the fence in left—before SVC got on the board with a solo score. Griffith got aboard with a lead-off single and moved around to third with two down; a wild pitch then allowed her to motor home and make it 10-1.

That would be it for the Mountaineers, however, as Phillips-Krick retired seven of the next nine batters she faced to prevent SVC from staging a comeback. Duchesneau recorded a two-run single through the left side in the fifth to help Mitchell walk out with the sweep.

Trinity Softball Buries Bates in NESCAC East Opener

Jenna Thomas '21

Hartford, Conn. - The Trinity College softball team scored eight runs through the game's first three innings en route to a 9-1 victory over the visiting Bates College Bobcats on Friday afternoon in the teams' New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) East series opener in Hartford. Trinity improves to 9-5 overall and 1-0 in divisional action while the Bobcats fall to 9-4 on the year and 0-1 in league play. The two sides return to the diamond tomorrow for a doubleheader, beginning with game one at noon.

Senior captain Rachael Smith (Winchester, Mass.) picked up her fifth win of the season for the Bantams in the circle, allowing just one earned run on four hits while striking out four in the mercy-rule shortened, six inning game. Junior SS Courtney Erickson (Everett, Mass.) went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs while senior captain CF Meaghan Race (Grand Rapids, Mich.) also drove in two runs and first-year DP Jenna Thomas (Orange, Conn.) recorded her first multi-hit game of her career with a 2-for-3 performance. Bobcat rookie Caroline Bass (Newton, Mass.) was the lone Bates player to tally multiple hits as she went 2-for-3 at the plate.

Trinity got things going in the first when senior LF Erica Merullo (Lynnfield, Mass.) started the inning with a base hit before swiping second, her fourth stolen bag of the year. Merullo advanced to third on a ground ball out by senior captain 2B Michelle Treglia (Fairfield, Conn.) before crossing the plate on an RBI-single off the bat of Erickson. 

Bates threatened in the top of the second after a walk by Mary Collette (Watertown, Mass.) and singles from Paige Ahlholm (North Andover, Mass.) and Kirsten Pelletier (Sidney, Maine) loaded the bases, however Smith showed resiliency and left the bases loaded while keeping the Bobcats off the scoreboard for the time being. The Bantams scored twice more in the home half thanks to a double to deep left-centerfield by Thomas that scored junior C Nicole Towner (Erie, Colo.), before Thomas later came around to score on a passed ball.

Trinity took advantage of three Bobcat errors in the third inning to put up a five-spot and open up an 8-0 advantage. Thomas and Race both drove in runs on RBI-singles to highlight the inning's scoring. 

After a scoreless fourth inning by both sides, Bates stayed alive in the fifth when Andrea Russo, who led the inning off with a walk, came around to score on a sacrifice fly off the barrell of Collette. Pelletier, Bates' starting pitcher, kept the Bantams from scoring in the home half despite getting two runners on with no outs, but the Bantams came through the following inning to walk off. 

Treglia led the inning off with a hard-hit double down the left field line which brought Erickson to the plate. Erickson laced a ball past the shortstop and into the outfield, bringing Treglia home and capping off the 9-1 victory.

Recap, photo courtesy of Trinity.

Brown University Softball's Rally Falls Short in Series Finale at Princeton, 9-8

Recap, photo courtesy of Brown University

PRINCETON, N.J. – Brown University softball rallied for three runs with two outs in the seventh inning, but Princeton University held on for a 9-8 win at Class of 1895 Field on Wednesday afternoon in the series finale of a three-game set.

Trailing 9-5 entering the seventh, the Bears (7-12, 1-2 Ivy) came back with three runs in the top of the frame before the Tigers (4-15, 2-1 Ivy) recorded the final out to take the series after the two teams split a doubleheader on Mar. 24. Brown outscored Princeton 8-1 after the first inning.

Junior Annie Scarangella (Tucson, Ariz.) posted three RBIs and a double, junior Ashli Lotz (Austin, Texas) hit a two-run double, and senior Annie McGregor (Carlsbad, Calif.) went 2-for-4 with three runs. Junior Sofia Venegas (La Mirada, Calif.) finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, and freshman Anya Schmitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.) tallied two hits, including a double.

With two outs in the seventh, Venegas started the Bears' rally with an RBI single into left field. Lotz followed with a two-run double into center field to bring the score to 9-8 before the Tigers closed out the contest.

After the Tigers opened the game with an 8-0 lead in the bottom of the first frame, Brown began to work its way back into the game with a pair of runs in the top of the second.

A two-run double down the left field line from Scarangella brought Brown within 8-4 in the top of the third, and a sacrifice fly from Scarangella in the top of the fifth cut the deficit to 8-5. Mackenzie Meyers hit a solo home run to left center in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 9-5.

For the Tigers, Mikayla Blaska and Emily Taggart both tallied two RBIs, and Allison Harvey and Joey Smith each posted two hits. Allie Reynolds earned the win (2-8), allowing eight runs, six earned, on 11 hits with three strikeouts in a complete game.

Sophomore Emily Waters (Northridge, Calif.) threw 5.2 innings in relief, giving up four runs on six hits with two strikeouts. Freshman Grace Ladd (Boulder, Colo.) took the loss (2-1) in the start.

The three-game set between the Bears and Tigers was originally scheduled for the Tigers' Class of 1895 Field from Mar. 24-25 but was moved to Brown due to weather conditions. After the two teams played a twin bill on Mar. 24, the single game on Mar. 25 was postponed to Mar. 28 at Princeton due to weather.

Next, Brown hosts Penn for a three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 31 beginning at 12:30 p.m. and a single game on Sunday, Apr. 1 at 12:30 p.m.

Brown's Softball Blanks Hartford in Game One of Doubleheader Split

Recap, photo courtesy of Brown's University

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Brown University softball blanked Hartford University, 1-0, in game one – allowing just two hits – and nearly rallied to take game two in an eventual 10-9 setback in nine innings during a non-conference doubleheader at the Hartford Softball Field on Tuesday afternoon.

The Bears (7-11) permitted just four runners to reach base in the first game and plated two runs in the top of the seventh to force extras in game two before the Hawks (6-11) came back with two runs in extra innings to split the series.

Between the two games, junior Cat Seitz (Poway, Calif.) went 4-for-8 with her first home run of the year, two doubles, and four RBIs. Junior Sofia Venegas (La Mirada, Calif.) finished the day 4-for-6 with three runs and a triple, and senior Annie McGregor (Carlsbad, Calif.) posted a 4-for-8 effort with a double.

Sophomore Emily Waters (Northridge, Calif.) pitched 8.2 innings on the day, allowing just one earned run and gaining the win in the first contest.

Next, Brown plays at Princeton tomorrow, Wednesday, Mar. 28, with a single game at 3:30 p.m., completing a three-game series that began at Brown this past weekend.

Game 1: Brown 1, Hartford 0

Freshman Grace Ladd and sophomore Emily Waters combined to allow just two hits as Brown blanked Hartford, 1-0, in game one.

The Bears permitted just two hits and one walk and plated one run in the top of the third inning to edge the host Hawks.

Junior Sofia Venegas (La Mirada, Calif.) went 2-for-3 with a triple and a run, senior Annie McGregor (Carlsbad, Calif.) finished 2-for-3, and junior Cat Seitz (Poway, Calif.) posted a double.

Ladd (Boulder, Colo.) pitched 4.0 innings, giving up just one hit in the save (2). Waters (Northridge, Calif.) threw 3.0 innings and allowed just one hit and one walk with two strikeouts in the win (2-3).

For Hartford, Bianca Ross threw a complete-game 7.0 innings, conceding one run on eight hits with no walks and no strikeouts.

In the top of the third, Venegas led off the frame with a triple to left field. Sophomore Kaitlin Okimoto (Burbank, Calif.) then put a ball in play into right field that brought Venegas home.

Game 2: Hartford 10, Brown 9 (9 Innings)

Junior Cat Seitz hit her first home run of the season and tallied four RBIs, but Brown's rally came up short in a 10-9 setback to Hartford in nine innings in game two.

The Bears scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to send the game to extra innings tied at 8-8. Each team scored one run in the eighth inning before the Hawks plated the game-winning run in the ninth.

Seitz (Poway, Calif.) finished the game 3-for-5 with her sixth career home run alongside four RBIs, a double, and a run. Senior Annie McGregor (Carlsbad, Calif.) went 2-for-5 with a double, RBI, and two runs, and junior Sofia Venegas (La Mirada, Calif.) registered a 2-for-3 effort with two runs, an RBI, and two stolen bases.

For Hartford Danielle Rocheleau went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and Elizabeth Newkirk finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBIs, and two runs. Bianca Ross gained the win, throwing 1.1 innings without allowing a hit or a run.

Seitz opened the game's scoring with a three-run homer to left field, staking the Bears to a 3-0 edge in the top of the first. Hartford cut the lead to 3-2 in the home half of the frame.

Freshman Anya Schmitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.) pushed the Bears ahead 4-2 with an RBI single to right field in the top of the second. After the Hawks came within 4-3, the Bears gained a 6-3 edge in the top of the fourth with a pair of unearned runs.

Hartford plated five runs between the fourth and fifth frames to claim an 8-6 advantage.

In the top of the seventh, McGregor hit an RBI double to left center, and Seitz followed with an RBI double to center field to knot the score at 8-8 and force extras. Brown took a 9-8 lead in the top of the eight as Venegas drove home a run with a single.

The Hawks responded with a run in the last of the eighth and won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly.

Sophomore Emily Waters (Northridge, Calif.) took the loss (2-4), tossing 5.2 innings in relief and allowing three runs, one earned, on five hits.

ANCHORWOMEN SWEEP WHEELOCK

Providence, R.I.--Rhode Island College junior pitcher Briana Gough (West Warwick, RI) went4-for-5 with five runs scored, two doubles and three RBI, while also hurling a game one four-hit shutout, as the Anchorwomen swept Wheelock (6-0, 19-0) in a doubleheader played at the Dayna A. Bazar Softball Complex on Sunday afternoon.

THE BASICS Game One: Wheelock 0, Rhode Island College 6 Game Two: Wheelock 0, Rhode Island College 19 (five innings) (Rhode Island College 4-2) (Wheelock 0-10)

Junior pitcher Briana Gough

HOW IT HAPPENED: GAME ONE • The Anchorwomen jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first, scoring on an error to get things started. Senior third baseman Chelsea Schott (Meriden, CT) contributed a sacrifice fly and freshman right fielder Erica Fluskey (Trumbull, CT) doubled in a run.   • Gough helped her own cause with an RBI double in the third. Junior catcher Emma Simmons (Saunderstown, RI) knocked in one in the fourth and Fluskey chipped in with an RBI double in the sixth to cap the game’s offensive output.   • Gough earned the win (2-1), allowing just four hits and striking out 11. Wheelock freshman pitcher Kathy Ochoa (El Paso, TX) took the loss (0-7), allowing six runs (four earned) on 10 hits. RIC senior shortstop Nicole Venturini (North Scituate, RI) went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED: GAME TWO • The hosts wasted no time in the nightcap as RIC plated four runs in the bottom of the first. Schott doubled in a pair, Gough notched an RBI infield single and senior first baseman Kelsey Wood (North Dighton, MA) picked up an RBI double.   • Venturini tripled in the second to give RIC a 5-0 advantage. With one down in the third, the RIC offense put up 10 runs on the visitors and then pushed across four more in the fourth to secure the win. Junior pitcher Erica Fleming (Sagamore Beach, MA) allowed just four hits in the shutout victory (2-1). Wheelock freshman starter Taylor MacDonald (Weare, NH) took the loss (0-3).

BY THE NUMBERS • Venturini went 5-for-7 with five runs scored, a double, one triple and three RBI on the day. Wood was RIC’s top run producer in the twinbill, going 4-for-7 with two runs scored, two doubles and five RBI.

WHAT’S NEXT

• In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will host Bridgewater State (DH) on Tuesday, March 27 (4 p.m.).