Southern Vermont College Softball Downed 9-0, 14-1 in Five-inning NECC Tilts at Mitchell

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Southern Vermont College started its New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) softball schedule Friday afternoon at Mitchell College—falling 9-0 and then 14-1 in a pair of run-shortened games.

SVC batted as the home team in both contests as the doubleheader was originally scheduled to be Southern Vermont's home opener.

The Mountaineers (0-14, 0-2 NECC) are back on the road Saturday for their next twin bill with SVC visiting Dean College for a 1 p.m. Conference start. MC (6-6, 2-0 NECC) is also in league action on Saturday with a 12 p.m. doubleheader at home against Wheelock College.

GAME 1: Mitchell 9 – Southern Vermont 0 (5 inn.)
The Mariners went up early with three runs in the top of the first, and they padded the cushion through their next four at bats while holding SVC to just a pair of hits.

Southern Vermont senior righty Shea Wilson (Mesa, Ariz.) and sophomore center fielder Taylor Jarosz (Karaganda, Kazakhstan) each went 1-2 at the plate. Wilson struck out five batters from the circle during the loss (0-7).

Mitchell junior shortstop Suzanne Vachon (East Hartford, Conn.) went 3-3 with two runs and two RBIs while freshman center fielder Stephanie Adams (White Plains, Md.) was 2-3 with a pair of extra-base hits, three runs batted in, and another run scored.

MC junior right-hander Taylor Duchesneau (Killingly, Conn.) went the distance from the rubber—registering four strikeouts in the complete-game shutout (3-3).

Vachon roped a triple down the line in left to get her team on the board in the top of the first before Adams knocked her in on an ensuing ground rule double in the same direction. Vachon then tallied another RBI in the second when she singled through the left side to make it 4-0.

Mitchell extended the separation with three runs in the fourth—two of those coming around on an Adams triple down the left field line. The hosting team added another two runs in the top of the fifth before closing out their first NECC win of the year.

GAME 2: Mitchell 14 – Southern Vermont 1 (5 inn.)
The Mariners used a pair of five-run frames in the front-end of game two for a 10-0 advantage before Southern Vermont got across the plate with a lone run in the home half of the third. MC would notch four more in the fifth, however, while keeping the Mountaineers from climbing back into it.

SVC freshman shortstop Emma Griffith (Halifax, Vt.) went 2-2 from the batter's box while right-handed classmate Erin Girard (Savoy, Mass.) was 1-2 with the stick. Girard was tagged with the loss (0-6) from the circle.

Five Mariners had a multi-hit game including senior third baseman Megan Elphick (Waterford, Conn.) who was 2-4 with a home run, four RBIs, and two runs scored. Freshman right-hander Shyla Phillips-Krick (Griswold, Conn.) tallied a pair of doubles to go 2-3 with a walk, three runs batted in, and two runs scored.

Phillips-Krick allowed just three hits and struck out one in the win (3-3); the lone run she gave up was unearned.

After neither side could score in the first, Mitchell chalked up a five-spot in the second with the help of five singles. With the bases loaded and one out, Elphick pulled one through the left side to plate a pair. Another pair of run-scoring base hits would follow for the Mariners to put up all they needed for the victory.

MC added five insurance runs in the third—with the help of a two-run homer by Elphick over the fence in left—before SVC got on the board with a solo score. Griffith got aboard with a lead-off single and moved around to third with two down; a wild pitch then allowed her to motor home and make it 10-1.

That would be it for the Mountaineers, however, as Phillips-Krick retired seven of the next nine batters she faced to prevent SVC from staging a comeback. Duchesneau recorded a two-run single through the left side in the fifth to help herself and make way for Mitchell to walk out with the sweep.

SVC Women’s Soccer Falls 2-0 at Clark in Non-conference action

Recap, photo courtesy of Southern Vermont College

WORCESTER, Mass. – In its first-ever meeting with Clark University, the Southern Vermont College women's soccer team fell 2-0 Wednesday afternoon in non-conference play at Granger Soccer Turf.

The game was scoreless through the first 43:18 of action before the hosting Cougars got on the board right before the break. SVC kept itself within striking distance for most of the second half, but CU got an insurance tally with just under 10 minutes to go for the 2-0 lead that would be maintained through the final horn.

The Mountaineers (3-4-1) are back in action on Saturday, heading to Daniel Webster College for a 1 p.m. New England Collegiate Conference matchup.

Southern Vermont junior keeper Melissa Mascari (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) was tested often by Clark, totaling 17 saves on the day to finish three short of her career-high in the loss (3-4-1).

The Cougars were able to keep the SVC offense in check, allowing just three shots on the day while not conceding a single corner kick to the visitors. On the other end of the pitch, Mascari turned away nine Clark shots before the hosts were able to get one past her in the 44th minute for the 1-0 advantage.

Following the intermission, Mascari came up with seven saves through the first 30 minutes of the second stanza to keep her team within one. The lead would be extended with 9:58 to go, however, when a loose ball was slammed home for the eventual 2-0 final. The Mountaineers were limited to just one shot on goal in each half of the match.

– #LetsGoSVC –

Southern Vermont College Baseball Takes No. 3 Seed in NECC Championship Tournament

BENNINGTON, Vt. — For the first time since 2011, the Southern Vermont College baseball team will be playing in postseason action as the Mountaineers secured the third season in this weekend's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) championship tournament.

The Mountaineers clinched their playoff berth with a league record of 10-8 (18-18 overall). That Conference win mark tied the team's NECC victories record (2011) while the overall mark currently ties the program's all-time wins record.

"I am extremely proud of this group," commented SVC fourth-year head coach Dave Gage who will

Southern Vermont College: Newbury Clips Baseball 11-9 to Finish NECC Regular Season

Recap, photo courtesy of Southern Vermont College

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) regular season baseball schedule concluded at the New England Baseball Complex Wednesday afternoon, Newbury College topping Southern Vermont College 11-9 in the league finale.

SVC led 4-2 before Newbury tacked up five runs in the top of the sixth to go ahead 8-4. The Mountaineers responded immediately with five of their own in the home half to regain the upper hand, but NC would cross the plate twice in the next frame and add an insurance tally in the eighth while preventing Southern Vermont from crossing the plate the rest of the way.

The Mountaineers drop to 18-18 heading into this weekend's league tournament, taking the No. 3 seed with a 10-8 record in Conference action. SVC will line up with No. 2 Elms College on Friday in the opening day of the double-elimination tournament, playing the Blazers at 3 p.m. at top-seeded Mitchell College.

Newbury finishes its 2016 season with a 5-13 mark in the NECC and a 15-21 overall record, finishing the year with a three-game winning streak.

Mountaineer senior RJ Pingitore (Perth, N.Y.) went 2-for-3 with a walk, three RBIs and a run scored

No. 3 Women's Lacrosse Grabs Program's First-ever Playoff Win with 18-10 Defeat of No. 6 Elms

Photo, recap courtesy of Southern Vermont College

BENNINGTON, Vt. — In just its second year as a collegiate varsity program, the Southern Vermont College women's lacrosse team is headed to the conference semifinals as the third-seeded Mountaineers defeated No. 6 Elms College 18-10 Tuesday evening in a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) first-round playoff at Everett Field.

SVC held the Blazers to just three scores in the opening 30 minutes to bring a four-goal lead into halftime. The hosting Mountaineers then outscored EC by four in the second half as well to finish off the victory, exacting revenge after Elms defeated Southern Vermont in the first round of last year's postseason tournament.

The Mountaineers improve to 6-10 on the year, now having won three of their last four games. EC finishes the 2016 campaign with a 7-10 overall record.

Southern Vermont now gets set to head to No. 2 Becker College on Thursday for a semifinal

Southern Vermont College Softball Defeats Pine Manor 12-0 in Five to Finish Season with Doubleheader Split

Recap, photo courtesy of Southern Vermont College

BENNINGTON, Vt. — The Southern Vermont College softball team concluded its 2016 season Sunday afternoon at Willow Park, falling 8-7 to Pine Manor College in a close doubleheader opener before surging to a 12-0 win in the backend for the share.

SVC led 5-3 after the fifth in game one, but the visiting Gators came back with three in the sixth and two more in the top of the seventh to grab a two-run upper hand. The Mountaineers closed it to one with a lone score in the home half of the final frame, but they would be unable to push the tying run across as PMC finished off the victory.

Southern Vermont then put up two runs in the first inning of game two before extending its advantage with six more in the second. SVC tacked up four additional runs through the next two boxes while holding the Gators to just three hits for the early-ending shutout.

The Mountaineers finish the season with a 4-24 overall record.

SVC senior captain Rachel Robtoy (Baltic, Conn.) concluded her collegiate career on Sunday,