NEW LONDON, Conn. – Mitchell College pulled off a sweep of Lesley University on Thursday afternoon, winning by final scores of 7-1 and 6-3 against the defending New England Collegiate Conference champions at Alumni Field.
Lesley's pair of losses marks the first time they have been swept in a conference doubleheader in the NECC's seven year existence and also is the first time they have fallen to Mitchell in program history. The Lynx were previously 15-0 against the Mariners, including a win to clinch their seventh straight NECC title last spring.
The Mariners improve to 4-10 overall and 4-0 in the conference while the Lynx fall to 2-10 on the season and 0-4 in NECC play.
Mitchell's Brittany Fiederlein (East Hampton, Conn.) threw a combined 14.0 innings to secure both wins and improved to 4-5 overall on the season. She gave up four runs on seven hits and struck out 12 while walking two.
Fiederlein also went 5-for-6 with a run scored and a RBI at the plate to fuel the offense. Shannon O'Neil (Chicopee, Mass.) and Lindsey Romagnino (Totowa, N.J.) each homered on the day while Samantha DelConte (Enfield, Conn.) finished with four hits and scored three runs.
Allison Fountain (Cheshire, Conn.) batted leadoff for Lesley and collected four of her team's seven hits in the double dip. Mekenzi Golden (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) homered for the first time this season and seventh time in her career and knocked in all four Lynx runs.
Mitchell will next host Regis College on Saturday, April 11 at 1 p.m. Lesley returns to action at Bay Path University on Friday, April 10 at 3:30 p.m.
Game 1 – Mitchell 7, Lesley 1
Lesley jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Fountain led off with a double down the left field line and later scored from third base on a line drive to center by Golden. Mitchell center fielder Jenny Groman (New Britain, Conn.) made a diving catch to record the out, but Fountain tagged up and scored with the game's first run.
A pair of infield singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Mariners with no outs in the home half of the first. DelConte scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1, but Lesley pitcher Alyson Nisbet (Clovis, Calif.) worked her way out of the jam without any further damage.
O'Neil led off the third inning with a solo homer to right-center—her second of the season—to give the Mariners their first lead. Mitchell could have added to the margin, but shortstop Selena Quezada (West Covina, Calif.) cut down a runner at the plate to keep the score at 2-1.
The Mariners broke the game open with three runs in the fourth. DelConte led off with a ground rule double down the left field line and later scored from third base on a double steal. Fiederlein plated the second run with a RBI double to right-center before scoring the third run following an errant throw to third base on another steal attempt.
Mitchell added two runs in the sixth on the strength of two walks and a pair of hits, including a RBI single by Groman that made it 7-1. Fiederlein wouldn't need the extra run support as she kept the Lynx off the scoreboard in the seventh. She allowed just three hits over 7.0 innings and struck out five while walking one.
Nisbet (1-4 overall) allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits and struck out three in 4.0 innings. Jillian Sbardella (Dartmouth, Mass.) worked the final 2.0 innings and yielded two runs on two hits.
Game 2 – Mitchell 6, Lesley 3
Mitchell loaded the bases with one out in the first and scored the first run of the game on a fielding error. Danielle Autieri (North Salem, N.Y.) then added to the margin with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Dylan Riccardi (Elmont, N.Y.) to make it 2-0.
A three-run home run by Romagnino highlighted a four-run second inning for the Mariners. Rivkah Berkman (New London, Conn.) and DelConte set the table with singles and were both in scoring position when Romagnino sent a blast over the left field fence for her first long ball of the season.
Fiederlein took a one-hitter into the sixth and struck out the first two batters of the frame before the Lynx finally got to her. Fountain and Theresa Pereira (Hopedale, Mass.) each singled through opposite sides of the infield before Golden sent a rocket over the center field fence to cut Lesley's deficit in half at 6-3.
Fiederlein recovered to pitch a flawless seventh inning to nail down the win. She gave up three runs on four hits and struck out seven while walking one.
Lesley starter Jordan Thomas (Fitchburg, Mass.) made it through the first inning and allowed two runs on two hits before turning the ball over to Sbardella. Sbardella (0-4 overall) closed out the game and allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out four in 5.0 innings.
Release courtesy Mitchell College Sports Information