WILDCATS SWEEP MITCHELL

GAME ONE – Bay Path 6, Mitchell 3 http://athletics.baypath.edu/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170409_sysn.xml

LONGMEADOW, Mass. – Lauren Vallee (Bristol, Conn.) homered, tripled and drove in two runs, while Madison Goodhart (Pawtucket, R.I.) scattered three runs in seven innings of work and helped her cause with a timely RBI-single to pace the Bay Path University softball team to a 6-3 victory over Mitchell College in the opening game of a New England Collegiate Conference doubleheader at Ryan Field.

Goodhart (4-5) went the distance for the 10^th time this season, allowing just three runs on nine hits – all singles – and one walk. She struck out four.

After spotting Mitchell a pair of runs in the top of the second inning on RBI-singles by Nia Brown (Bronx, N.Y.) and Megan Elphick (Waterford, Conn.), Goodhart settled down and surrendered just one walk through the next four innings.

Bay Path knotted the game at 2-2 with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth inning. Pinch-runner Alexis Marie Ellsey (Methuen, Mass.) scampered home for the first run on a throwing error following a ground ball that should have ended the inning.  Following a bunt single by Jailinne Ruiz (Hadley, Mass.), Goodhart scored the equalizer on an infield hit by Keyla Oliveras (Springfield, Mass.).

The Wildcats took a 4-2 lead in the fifth on Vallee's leadoff home run to center field that snapped the 2-2 tie.  Goodhart drove home Lopez from second base on a two-out single up the middle.  

Bay Path tacked on an insurance run in the sixth to take a 6-2 lead.  Gretchen Hale (Naugatuck, Conn.) led off the frame with a base hit, and scored on a triple by Vallee.  A Lilly West (Goshen, Mass.) sacrifice fly plated Vallee to end the Wildcats' scoring.

The Mariners tacked on their third run of the game on a two-out RBI-single by Danielle Autieri (North Salem, N.Y.) in the seventh to close out the scoring.

Hale, Vallee, West, Goodhart and Ruiz each collected two hits for Bay Path, while Oliveras and Marissa Sarna-McCarthy (Westhampton, Mass.) notched one hit apiece.

Brown, Autieri and starting pitcher Taylor Duchesneau (Killingly, Conn.) each picked up two hits for Mitchell. Duchesneau (5-9) suffered the loss, allowing six runs, four earned, on 12 hits with two walks and a strikeout in six innings of work.

GAME TWO – Bay Path 4, Mitchell 2 http://athletics.baypath.edu/sports/sball/2016-17/boxscores/20170409_gaxf.xml

After spotting Mitchell pair of unearned runs in the first inning, the remainder of the game was all Bay Path, as the Wildcats closed out a doubleheader sweep of the Mariners with a 4-2 victory in the nightcap.

The Wildcats quickly trimmed the lead to 2-1 as Oliveras led off the home first with an infield hit and promptly stole second base. West singled home pinch-runner Ruiz for the first Bay Path run of the game.

Bay Path took the lead for good with two runs in the third inning, as Vallee knocked in Kiley Bissell (Westhampton, Mass.) and eventually came around to score on a single by Katrina Peck (Newington, Conn.) that put the Wildcats on top 3-2.

An RBI-double by Goodhart knocked home pinch-runner Ellsey in the Bay Path sixth that extended the Wildcats' lead to 4-2.

Felicia Gaillardetz (Londonderry, N.H.) earned the win and improved to 4-5 with four solid innings of work.  She allowed just two unearned runs and four hits and three walks.  She struck out six.

Goodhart picked up her first career save, closing out the victory with three perfect innings as she retired all nine batters that she faced. She struck out one.

Peck went a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI at the plate for Bay Path, while West picked up two hits. Oliveras, Ruiz, Bissell and Vallee each added a hit.

Samantha DelConte (Enfield, Conn.) added two hits for Mitchell. Duchesneau (5-10) went the distance and suffered the loss. In six innings, Duchesneau allowed three earned runs on nine hits.

Next up for Bay Path (8-11, 4-4 NECC) is a non-conference doubleheader at Pine Manor College Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.  Mitchell (7-12, 3-7 NECC) travels to non-conference rival University of St. Joseph (Conn.) Thursday at 3:00 p.m.