Mitchell College Sports Roundup

The Mitchell College baseball team won a decisive victory over Newbury College on Saturday, while the softball team picked up two wins against Albertus Magnus College. The Mariners dropped a men's lacrosse game to Becker College. The following information was provided by David Longolucco, sports information director at Mitchell College:

Baseball: Mitchell 11, Newbury 1

The Newbury College baseball team dropped their home and New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) opener to Mitchell College, 11-1, Saturday afternoon.

Freshman starter Travis Wade (Portland, Maine/Deering) toed the rubber for the third time in 2011. He was dazzling in the top of first, catching Mariner catcher Anthony Santiago (Newark, N.J./Bloomfield Tech) staring at strike three. Wade only needed three pitches to dispose of Santiago then continued to retire the side by way of the strike-out to end the frame.

With the game all square at zero entering the bottom of the second, the Nighthawks finally got on scoreboard. Shortstop Russell DeMatties (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) led off the home half lining a rocket double down the right field line. Two batters later left fielder Michael Dean (Wethersfield, Conn./Wethersfield) drove in his team-leading 12th RBI of the season with a base hit into right-center to plate DeMatties for the first run of the ballgame.

Wade was solid for the first three innings of the contest. In the top of the third, he got out of a one-out, runners on first and second jam due to solid defense behind him. Mitchell second baseman Drew Rossi (Jessup, Penn./Valley View) attempted to score on a one-out single off the bat of third baseman Jeff Perillo (Newington, Conn./Newington) but right fielder Matthew Clawson (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) started a clean relay to throw out Perillo for the second out of the inning. Wade got right fielder Felix Colarte (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) to fly out to left to end the threat.

The Mariners got to Wade in the top of the fourth inning, scoring seven runs as they batted around. Colarte capped off top of the fourth with a bases-clearing, inside-the-park home run to take a six run lead. They added to their lead, scoring two more runs in the next inning, spelling the end of the afternoon for Wade.

Mitchell starter John Apostolo (Queens, N.Y./St. Mary’s) went the distance, pitching complete seven innings allowing just one run on six hits while fanning five in the victory. Newbury junior Michael Gulla (Westbury, N.Y./Carle Place) came on in relief of Wade and pitched two innings allowing two runs – one earned – on two hits. 

The loss drops Newbury to 6-7 on the season and 0-1 in conference action while Mitchell improves to 4-2 and 1-0 in the NECC. The Nighthawks and Mariners meet again today for a double-header in New London, Conn. First pitch is at 12:00pm.

The Mitchell College softball team picked up its first wins of the season on Saturday afternoon against Albertus Magnus College, sweeping a doubleheader by scores of 9-1 and 8-0.

Softball: Mitchell 9, Albertus Magnus 1; Mitchell 8, Albertus Magnus 0

Junior Marissa Thomas (New London, Conn./Saint Bernards) pitched both games and threw her first collegiate no-hitter in the nightcap. She allowed only one unearned run on two hits in a combined 10.0 innings of work on the day.

Freshman Tricia Tomaselli (Guilford, Conn./Guilford) went 5-for-5 at the plate over the two games to lead the Mitchell offense. Senior Jen Bordonaro (Winsted, Conn./Gilbert School) finished with a pair of hits that included her first home run—a grand slam—of the season.

Game 1 – Mitchell 9, Albertus Magnus 1 (5 innings)

Albertus Magnus took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly to center by Melissa Manning (Milford, Conn./Foran) that scored Danielle Figueroa (Bridgeport, Conn./Notre Dame Fairfield). Mitchell answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame. The Mariners tied the game on a bases-loaded walk by Chelsea Arpin (Killingly, Conn./Killingly) and went ahead for good when junior Brittany Zaccaria (White Plains, N.Y./Maria Regina) drove in a run on a fielder’s choice. Tomaselli capped the rally with an RBI single to put the Mariners up 3-1.

Bordonaro provided the biggest blow in the third, clearing the bases with a line-drive shot over the left-center fence for her seventh career homer. The Mariners tacked on the final run in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by junior Stacey Suplicki (New London, Conn./Saint Bernards) to invoke the eight-run mercy rule.

Thomas struck out seven and walked one in 5.0 innings. Figueroa got the start for Albertus Magnus and allowed nine runs on eight hits over 4.2 innings. She struck out one and issued six walks.

Game 2 – Mitchell 8, Albertus Magnus 0 (5 innings)

Thomas continued her dominance in the second game and retired 15 of 16 batters she faced. She struck out five without issuing a walk, and the lone batter to reach base came in the second inning on her own fielding error.

The Mariners provided plenty of offensive support, scoring three runs in the first inning and two more in the second. Suplicki had an RBI single in the first and a sacrifice fly in the second to finish with a pair of RBI in the game.

Mitchell added three more runs in the fourth to go up 8-0 and then blanked the Falcons in the fifth to close out the win. Sam Corso (Derby, Conn./Derby) took the loss for Albertus Magnus in the circle, allowing eight runs on five hits in 4.0 innings. She also struck out two and walked eight.

Mitchell (2-8 overall) will next host a doubleheader against Lyndon State College on Saturday, March 26 at 2 p.m. Albertus Magnus (0-2 overall) returns to action at St. Joseph’s College (Brooklyn) on Friday, March 25 at 3:30 p.m.

Men's Lacrosse: Becker 15, Mitchell 5

The Mitchell College men’s lacrosse team dropped a 15-5 final to Becker College on Saturday afternoon at New London High School.

David Deschenes (Gales Ferry, Conn./Ledyard) netted seven goals and added two assists to lead the Hawks (2-3 overall) to victory. Joe Ignagni (Kingston, Mass./Silver Lake), James Ahern (Plymouth, Mass./Hoosac) and Jeff Petersen (Syracuse, N.Y./Henninger) each contributed two scores while goalie Michael Munoz (Avon, Conn./Avon) made 11 saves against 30 shots.

Junior Adam Grillo (Waterford, Conn./Waterford) and freshman Erik Vasquez (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino) scored a pair of goals each to lead the Mariners (2-1 overall). Freshman goalie Peter Eshenfelder (Quaker Hill, Conn./Waterford) finished with seven saves.

Becker led 3-1 after the opening quarter but took advantage of a Mitchell penalty early in the second to open up its lead. The Mariners were called for an illegal body check that resulted in a one-minute non-releasable penalty. The Hawks made the most of the 60 seconds and scored three man-up goals—the final two from Deschenes—to take a 6-1 lead.

Becker outscored Mitchell 7-1 in the second quarter and enjoyed a 10-2 lead at the halftime intermission. Deschenes scored five goals in the first half to lead the Hawks’ attack.

Grillo netted a goal in the third quarter and added his second midway through the fourth, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Becker scored a pair of man-up goals in the second half and was deadly on the power play all day, scoring on six of eight chances with a man advantage. Mitchell went just 1-for-6 on extra-man opportunities.

Mitchell will next play at the College of Mount Saint Vincent on Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. Becker returns to action at home against Salem State University on Wednesday at 7 p.m.