LEXINGTON, Mass. – The Mitchell College baseball team remained unbeaten in New England Collegiate Conference play this season after downing Lesley University in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, taking the opener 8-3 before shutting out the Lynx in the nightcap 7-0.
The victory in the second game was a milestone for head coach Travis Beausoleil, who picked up career victory number 300 during his tenure at Mitchell, which began in 2012.
Senior Ryan Solimine (Danbury, Conn.) got the start for the Mariners in the opener and last four and two third innings, allowing three runs and eight hits while striking out two. Fellow senior Tyler Daly (Wallingford, Conn.) came on in relief for Solimine and earned the victory, working delivering two and a third innings of shutout ball.
Senior Eddie Kaftan (Old Lyme, Conn.) took to the mound in the second game and tossed seven-inning complete game shutout, allowing just four hits and no walks, while striking out two.
The Mariners (27-6 overall, 10-0 NECC) will close out their regular season with a conference doubleheader against Eastern Nazarene College at home on Saturday, April 29.
Game 1 – Mitchell 8, Lesley 3
After sophomore Bo Yaworski (Brooklyn, Conn.) drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning, the Lynx answered by scoring once in the bottom of the first and again in the bottom of the second to build a 2-1 edge.
The Mariners then used a Lesley error and an RBI single by Dougie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.) to leap on top 4-2 in the top of the fifth. Following a solo home run by Lesley's Colby Jacobs, Mitchell added two more runs in the sixth on RBI singles by Justin Adorno (New Britain, Conn.) and Angel Galindez (Carolina, P.R.), before capping their scoring on an Owen Robbins (East Lyme, Conn.) sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh.
DelaCruz led Mitchell at the plate, going 2-4 with a double, one RBI, and one run scored. Yaworski also drove in three for the Mariners and Robbins finished 1-2 with a walk, two RBI, and one run scored.
Evan Swift was the losing pitcher for Lesley after surrendering four runs in four and one third innings of work, while James Brandon and Trevor Faison had three hits apiece in the loss.
Game 2 – Mitchell 7, Lesley 0
Following a scoreless first inning, Mitchell jumped ahead in the top of the second when Robbie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.) drove home Lelo Martinez (New London, Conn.) with an RBI single to right field.
A four-run third inning extended Mitchell's lead and was powered by a two-run single from Martinez and a two-run single by Owen Robbins. Matt Falk (Enfield, Conn.) then drove in the final two runs of the day for the Mariners in the fourth, lacing a two-run single to left field to score Yaworski and Dougie DelaCruz.
Robbie DelaCruz went 3-4 at the plate with an RBI, while Falk, Martinez, and Robbins collected two RBI apiece.
Brian Jacobus gave up seven runs across three innings of work, earning the loss, and Adam Budorick had two hits in the second game for Lesley, who dropped to 11-19 on the spring.