Mitchell College Sports Roundup

The Mitchell College baseball and men's tennis teams won games on Saturday, while the softball team dropped both games in a doubleheader. The following information was provided by David Longolucco, sports information director at Mitchell College

Baseball: Mitchell 19, Elms 9; Mitchell 9, Elms 3

The Mitchell College baseball team scored a combined 28 runs on 30 hits in a doubleheader sweep of Elms College on Saturday afternoon, finishing with 19-9 and 9-3 victories to remain atop the NECC standings.

The Mariners never trailed at any point in either contest. Freshman Anthony Santiago (Newark, N.J./Bloomfield Tech) and junior John Apostolo (Queens, N.Y./St. Mary’s) powered the Mitchell offense. Santiago went 6-for-9 with a double, three RBI and six runs scored on the day while Apostolo went 5-for-8 with a double, homer, five RBI and four runs scored.

Mitchell improved to 14-5-1 overall and 9-2 in the NECC. Elms dropped to 9-14 overall and 2-6 in conference play. The Blazers will host the Mariners for the final game of the weekend series on Sunday at noon.

Game 1 – Mitchell 19, Elms 9 

Mitchell scored runs in every inning but the sixth and led 19-1 heading into the final frame. Elms scored eight runs in the seventh inning but couldn’t make up the difference.

The Mariners jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning behind a three-run homer by junior Felix Colarte (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen), his second long ball of the season. Mitchell added four more runs in the second inning to extend the margin to 7-0. Senior Drew Rossi (Jessup, Pa./Valley View) plated the first run with a single and Santiago followed with a RBI double. Junior Gus Maclao (Miami, Fla./Pace) finished off the rally with a two-out single to drive in the final two runs.

Mitchell batted around in the third inning and scored a total of seven runs. Santiago and sophomore Osmer Collado (New York, N.Y./St. Agnes Boys) each drove in a pair of runs with base hits in the frame.

Elms got on the scoreboard in the fourth when Donald Morse (Alfred, Maine/Massabesic) put a ball in play to score Stephen Fisher (West Boylston, Mass./West Boylston) from third base. Morse, who also singled with the bases loaded in the seventh, finished with a pair of hits and three RBI in the game.

Apostolo hit a two-run homer to left in the bottom of the fourth to put the Mariners up 16-1. It was his team-leading sixth home run of the season. Mitchell then tacked on three more runs in the fifth, scoring two runs on wild pitches and a third on a RBI single by senior Jeff Perillo (Newington, Conn./Newington).

Senior right-hander Paul Martinez (New London, Conn./New London) got the start on the hill for the Mariners and allowed one run on three hits in 5.0 innings of work. He also struck out six batters without issuing a walk and improved to 4-1 overall on the season.

Elms starter Curtis LeBeau (Auburn, Mass./Auburn) lasted 2.0 innings and allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on nine hits and struck out one. The Blazers used a total of five pitchers in the game.

All but one Mitchell starter finished with a hit. Perillo and Collado each had three hits in the contest.

Game 2 – Mitchell 9, Elms 3

Apostolo, the starting pitcher for the Mariners in the second game, helped his own cause in the first inning with a RBI single through the left side of the infield. Maclao followed with a double later in the frame to plate another run and give Mitchell a 2-0 lead.

The Mariners doubled their lead with two runs in the third inning. Apostolo delivered another RBI single and later scored on a throwing error.

The Blazers pushed across a pair of runs in the fourth to cut the deficit in half. Andrew Kravontka (Manchester, Conn./Manchester) put Elms on the board with a RBI single, and Carm Bonavita (Springfield, Mass./Cathedral) drove in the next run with a ground out to second.

Colarte put the Mariners up 5-2 in the fifth with a RBI single through a drawn in infield. Mitchell then broke the game open with a four-run sixth to go up 9-2. Apostolo doubled to drive in a run, and Colarte and senior Carlos Hughes (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) each produced RBI singles.

Apostolo, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI at the plate, went the distance on the mound and allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits. He also struck out four and walked three and improved to 6-1 overall on the season.

Nick Cordeiro (Berkley, Mass./Coyle-Cassidy Memorial) took the loss for the Blazers. He allowed nine runs (seven earned) on 15 hits in 6.0 innings. He struck out four and walked two.

Softball: Elms 6, Mitchell 3; Elms 5, Mitchell 2

The Mitchell College softball team dropped a doubleheader to Elms College on Saturday afternoon by final scores of 6-3 and 5-3.

The Blazers pounded out 11 hits in each game and benefitted from a combined six Mitchell fielding errors on the day. Destinee Meeker (Bantam, Conn./Litchfield) and Courtney Hampton (Westfield, Mass./Westfield) each picked up wins inside the circle for Elms, which improved to 14-10 overall and 8-0 in NECC play. Mitchell dropped to 8-14 overall and 5-3 in league play.

Mitchell will next host Daniel Webster College for a doubleheader on Sunday, April 17 at 1 p.m. Elms returns to action at home against Southern Vermont College on Wednesday, April 20 at 3 p.m.

Game One – Elms 6, Mitchell 3

The Blazers drew first blood thanks to a two-out RBI single by Alexandra Bonavita (Agawam, Mass./Agawam) in the first inning. Elms then tacked on three more runs in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. Allyson Witaszek (Feeding Hills, Mass./Agawam) started the rally with a leadoff single and later scored on a ball put into play by Isaira Caraballo (Springfield, Mass./Central). Alison McBride (East Providence, R.I./East Providence) followed with a RBI single to center, and Jenna Lipscomb (Cambridge, Mass./Lawrence Academy) capped the scoring with a ground out to third.

Bonavita picked up her second RBI of the game in the fifth to put the Blazers up 5-0. The Mariners got back into the game in the sixth when sophomore Tiffany Person (Waterbury, Conn./Crosby) cleared the bases with a double to plate three runs and cut the deficit to 5-3.

Bonavita delivered another RBI single in the seventh to add an insurance run for the Blazers. She finished 2-for-4 with three RBI in the game. The margin was enough for Meeker, who struck out two batters in the seventh to improve to 8-5 overall on the season. Meeker allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out seven in 7.0 innings.

Junior Marissa Thomas (New London, Conn./Saint Bernard) took the loss for the Mariners, dropping to 5-6 overall on the year. She allowed six runs (four earned) on 11 hits and struck out three.

Game Two – Elms 5, Mitchell 3

Mitchell grabbed the lead in the second game behind a two-run homer by sophomore Meghan Burke (Bronx, N.Y./Preston) in the third inning, her second long ball of the season. Elms answered right back in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2 with RBI singles from Lipscomb and Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass./Agawam).

Hampton helped her own cause in the fifth, snapping the tie with a two-out double and later scoring on another Mitchell miscue to put the Blazers in front 4-2. The Mariners shot back with a run in the bottom of the frame on a RBI single to left by junior Stacey Suplicki (New London, Conn./Saint Bernard) but stranded the tying run at second base.

Elms pushed across an insurance run in the seventh on a triple by Caraballo that scored Jessica Cockshaw (Palmer, Mass./Palmer). Hampton then retired the Mariners in the home half of the inning to improve to 6-5 overall on the season. She allowed three runs on six hits in 7.0 innings and struck out six.

Freshman Tricia Tomaselli (Guilford, Conn./Guilford) pitched for the Mariners and allowed five runs (three earned) on 11 hits in 7.0 innings. She struck out six and walked three and dropped to 3-8 overall on the year.

Both Hampton and Butt each finished with three hits for the Blazers. Junior Brittany Zaccaria (White Plains, N.Y./Maria Regina) had a pair of hits to lead the Mariners.

Men's Tennis: Mitchell 9, Wheelock 0

The Wheelock College men's tennis team hosted two-time defending New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) regular-season champion Mitchell College on Saturday, falling by a 9-0 count on the Winsor Courts. The Wildcats fell to 2-4 overall and 2-3 in the league, while the Mariners are now 6-2 and 3-1.

Wheelock's No. 1 doubles tandem of senior Wilson Chang (Lee, MA/Lee) and junior Bobby Venning (Greenfield, NH/ConVal Regional) came closest to taking a point, leading by a 3-2 count before Mitchell junior Kyle Carmona (Norwich, CT/Norwich Free Academy) and sophomore Rocco Devona (Waterford, CT/Waterford) rallied for an 8-4 victory.

Mariner juniors Tyler Engleberg (Niantic, CT/East Lyme) and Alex Fusco (Saugus, MA/Saugus) earned an 8-3 win against freshmen Tyler Linhares (Central Falls, RI/Shea) and Claire O'Donoghue (East Haven, CT/East Haven), and the Wildcats, who only had five players at their disposal, defaulted at No. 3.

Carmona, Engleberg, senior Adam Samuels (New Rochelle, NY/Soundview Prep), junior Andrew Small (Westerly, RI/Westerly) and Fusco won in straight sets from the first through fifth singles positions, respectively, for the Mariners, who picked up a sixth win by default.

Wheelock is back in action tomorrow at 1 p.m. when it hosts Bridgewater State University.