MARINERS SINK PRIDE IN NECC TWIN BILL

WESTON, Mass. – The Regis College softball team dropped a New England Collegiate Conference doubleheader to visiting Mitchell College, 12-1 in five innings and 9-7, on Saturday afternoon in Weston, Mass. The Pride fall to 6-19 overall and 6-8 in league play, while Mitchell improves to 17-13 and 14-2 in the NECC.

Mitchell wasted no time in game one of the day, putting up 10 runs in the first inning en route to a 12-1 victory. Lindsey Romagnino (Totowa, N.J.) hit a pair of two-run homeruns in the opening frame, while Brittany Zaccaria (White Plains, N.Y.) drove in three runs with an RBI single and two-run double all coming in the first. Dylan Riccardi (Elmont, N.Y.) and Shannen Pelletier (Coventry, R.I.) also added RBI singles in the inning and the Mariners added one more run on a passed ball to take a commanding 10-0 lead.

Regis got on the board in the third inning when Sarah Porteus (South Wellfleet, Mass.) came around to score on an RBI single through the left side by Kara Donovan (Woburn, Mass.). Mitchell rounded out the scoring in the top of the fifth as Tiffany Person (Waterbury, Conn.) drove in a run with a single to second base and Zaccaria drove in her fourth run of the day with an RBI ground out to seal the 12-1 victory.

Emily Pickett (Wrentham, Mass.) suffered the loss for Regis, lasting only two-thirds of an inning and allowing 10 runs (seven earned) on nine hits. Porteus pitched the final 4.1 innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits, while striking out four. Cassie Langone (Chichester, N.H.), Donovan, and Porteus registered the lone hits in game one for the Pride.

Mitchell's Zaccaria and Romagnino each went 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored, with Romagnino hitting a pair of homeruns. Tiffany Person went 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot and Shannen Pelletier went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Tricia Tomaselli (Guilford, Conn.) picked up her seventh win of the season by going five innings and allowing only one run on three hits with six strikeouts.

Game two was a back and forth battle as Regis took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double by Katie Blackburn (Milford, Mass.). Sarah Porteus started game two for the Pride and kept Mitchell off the scoreboard until the top of the fourth. The Mariners loaded the bases on three singles before Pelletier drove in Stacey Suplicki (New London, Conn.) to tie the game at 1-1. In the next at-bat, Chelsea Arpin (Killingly, Conn.) hit a sharp grounder to short, and Nikki Hoxie (Winsted, R.I.) beat the throw home to give Mitchell a 2-1 lead.

Katie Blackburn began the fourth inning with her second double of the day and came around to score on an RBI single by Jill Bruning (Medford, Mass.) that tied the game. After a scoreless top of the fifth, Mitchell made a pitching change to Tomaselli and the Pride greeted her with a three-run inning after Kara Donovan led off the frame with a triple to left center, later scoring on an RBI single by Samantha Bliss (Framingham, Mass.). Bliss would score on a fielder's choice, and the Pride added their final run on a passed ball to take a 5-2 lead.

The Mariners quickly put two runners on in their half of the sixth and began to chip away at the Pride lead as Romagnino delivered with an RBI single to left center that made it 5-3. Suplicki followed with an RBI single to right field, advancing to second on the throw and leaving two runners in scoring position with the Mariners only down 5-4. Nikki Hoxie made it three-straight run scoring singles with a grounder through the right side that tied the score. Shane'l Blount (New London, Conn.) pinch hit, lacing a ball to shortstop and forcing an off-line throw that allowed two runs to score and give Mitchell the 7-5 advantage.

Pitching with the lead, Tomaselli set the Pride down in order in both the sixth and seventh innings to earn her second win of the day and eight win of the year.

All of the Regis offense came from the top five spots in the order as Samantha Bliss went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Katie Blackburn went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a run scored. Kim Daniels (Jaffrey, N.H.), Kara Donovan and Jill Bruning added hits in the setback. Sarah Porteus took the loss for the Pride, striking out six while going seven innings and allowing seven runs (four earned) on 14 hits.

Mitchell had three players record three hit games in part two of the doubleheader as Stacey Suplicki, Nikki Hoxie, and Shannen Pelletier all went 3-for-4 and combined for three RBI and four runs scored. Tricia Tomaselli pitched well in relief to pick up the win, going three innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits. Marissa Thomas (New London, Conn.) earned a no-decision, lasting four innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts.

The Pride will look to snap a four game skid when Regis hosts Eastern Nazarene in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday night starting at 5:00 p.m. Mitchell will try and extend its winning streak to 11 games next Saturday when the Mariners travel to Becker College for an NECC matchup starting at 1:00 p.m.