Newbury Softball Drops Two to Mitchell

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College softball team won both games of an NECC doubleheader against Newbury College on Saturday afternoon by final scores of 2-0 and 6-4.

Sophomores Kristina Torres (Groton, Conn.) and Marissa Thomas (New London, Conn.) each picked up wins in the circle for Mitchell (10-6 overall, 4-0 NECC). The Mariners have won nine of their last 10 games and improved to 8-0 on their home field. Newbury dropped to 6-12 overall and 1-3 in conference play.

Game 1 – Mitchell 2, Newbury 0

Both starting pitchers turned in solid performances. Torres (4-4 overall) gave up only five hits and didn’t allow a run, fanning a career-high 17 batters to earn her first shutout of the season. She recorded the first eight outs of the ballgame via strikeout. Newbury’s Katie O’Hara (Abingdon, Md.) allowed two runs on three hits while striking out five in 6.0 innings of work.

Both of Mitchell’s runs scored on wild pitches in the fourth inning. Freshman Meghan Burke (Bronx, N.Y.) and senior Sara Krolikowski (Bristol, Conn.) each singled in the frame and came around to score.

Newbury’s best chance to score came in the third inning. The Nighthawks loaded the bases with two outs, but Torres got the next batter to pop out to end the threat. Katelyn Mark (Quincy, Mass.) finished with two of Newbury’s five hits.

Game 2 – Mitchell 6, Newbury 4

Mitchell scored three runs in the first inning and two more in the second to stake Thomas to a 5-0 lead. Krolikowski and senior Michele Anderson (Scotland, Conn.) each had RBI singles in the first, and sophomore Brittany Zaccaria (White Plains, N.Y.) drove in runs in each inning.

Newbury got on the board in the fourth thanks to an RBI single by Sarah Thornton (Clifton Springs, N.Y.). Mitchell answered with a run in its half of the fourth off the bat of Zaccaria, her third RBI of the game.

The Nighthawks put up three runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 6-4. Olga Cepeda (Boston, Mass.) delivered a three-run homer—her first of the season—with two outs to provide the damage. Newbury then got two more runners aboard before Thomas got a groundout to end the rally.

Newbury put the tying runs in scoring position in the seventh inning but couldn’t bring them home. Thomas got Thornton to pop up to end the game and improved to 6-2 overall on the season. She allowed four runs—all unearned—on 11 hits while striking out four in 7.0 innings.

Sarah Young (Waterloo, N.Y.) took the loss for the Nighthawks, allowing five runs (three earned) on 10 hits in 1.2 innings of work. Rebecca Roach (Charlton, Mass.) threw 4.1 innings of relief and gave up one run on five hits while striking out three.

Newbury will next host Bay Path College on Wednesday, April 14 at 3 p.m. Mitchell returns to action at home against Bay Path on Sunday, April 11 at 1 p.m.

- Game story submitted by David Longolucco, Sports Information Director - Mitchell College

- Game photo provided by Samantha Yanofsky