By Emma Bynes
@emma_bynes4
In 2024 under the grueling June sun, Elizabeth Mitchell and Brynlee Eckels once battled it out on the diamond for 12 long innings in a conference championship game for their respective high school teams. Now facing each other at the collegiate level, this time in the cold of early March, Eckels claimed the victory once again. This time, she did so for Springfield College instead of Ellington High School — resulting in a sweep for the Pride on Tuesday afternoon.
“I’ve been facing her and [Julia] Boya for years,” said the sophomore second baseman. “It’s always nice to get a win against that group. This one might have meant a little more thanks to the comeback nature of things.”
In Springfield College softball’s return from the Sunshine State, they faced off against Eastern Connecticut State University and Mitchell in double-header action on Potter Field. With game one a matchup between reigning pitchers of the week in their respective conferences, Mitchell and Amelia DeRosa, both teams were desperate for hits in a closely fought duel.
Both pitchers, thanks to their own performance as well as stellar defense behind them, held things scoreless until the sixth inning. All of the sudden, when DeRosa had two outs in the frame and looked like she was still cruising in her reign as NEWMAC pitcher of the week, Eastern scored two runs from a double in the gap by Eastern’s designated player, Jenna Maus. With a 2-0 lead in hand for the Warriors, Ashlyn Kenefick decided some insurance was crucial and laced a line drive single that was picked up by centerfielder Haley Ball to extend the Warriors’ lead to three.
With only a frame and a half left in the game, the Pride looked deflated in the dugout. It would be hard to claim four runs, if any, off a pitcher who has rarely made mistakes in her career. However, with the pitch counts rising in the sixth inning, the middle portion of the Pride lineup came to play. Base hits from Emilia Santiago, Springfield’s designated player, and first-year Madison King saw Springfield suddenly down just one run with still no one out in the inning. After King’s RBI single, the energy was back on Potter Field as upperclassmen rallied around the younger player.
Mitchell and DeRosa are two very unique players. Yes, they’re some of the most successful pitchers in their respective conferences, but their most meaningful contributions to team success might come at the plate. With the sophomore in the circle and Springfield’s senior at the plate, DeRosa took advantage of her experience, launching a bases clearing double over the centerfielder Boya’s head. With just three potential outs left in the game for Eastern, the Pride were suddenly up 5-3.
With newfound energy and a lead, DeRosa set down the away team’s first three hitters to give Springfield the win.
With the Pride claiming a hard-fought, yet expected victory in game one, eyes went to number two pitchers Julia Rimschnick and Leah Chatfield. Despite Mitchell’s dominant performance thus far in Eastern’s young season, Chatfield sports an ERA over five during the Warriors’ time in Florida.
Continuing the theme set by the Pride towards the end of game one, Springfield struck first in the second game by way of Carissa Pecchia hitting a single to the outfield early on. With Rimshnick now in the circle for the Pride, Eastern jumped to take advantage of inexperience — scoring two runs on wild pitches plus another off a bases loaded walk from the sophomore. Warriors shortstop Grace Jenkins added the fifth run of Eastern’s half of the second with a single.
This game was meant to be a high scoring matchup. Springfield rallied in the bottom of the second with a bases loaded walk from Ball, plus shortstop Reilly Hunter nailing a deep sacrifice fly to center, as well as a groundout from Kate Katsetos that brought DeRosa in. The Pride found themselves facing a 5-4 deficit heading into the third.
Mitchell provided support for the Warriors at the plate with a three run double in the third, plus two more scores from Eastern in the inning to put the away team up 10-4. Scoring two more in the top half of the fifth, Springfield was at risk of being mercied if they did not score a run.
Somehow, the Pride loaded the bases once again with two walks from Chatfield and a pinch-hit single from first-year Sammy Swords. Once again providing the clutch hit, DeRosa launched a bases clearing triple into deep-left field to save this game for the Pride, scoring herself off of Hunter’s groundout and leaving the home team down just four runs through five innings.
After Rimshnick finally escaped an inning unscathed, senior captain Taylor Falotico grounded a single to left — scoring two and putting this game within reach. After Rachel Powers scored another unearned run off of new pitcher Hadley Marchand, Springfield received another strike of energy from the team’s upperclassmen.
“To come back from an eight run deficit just goes to show how gritty our team is,” said Falotico. “We have a lot of heart and a lot of drive. Obviously, we don’t want to put ourselves in positions where we have to work back but there’s a lot of pride and a great team culture.”
In a hitters count, Carissa Pecchia launched a double to clear the loaded basepaths and put the Pride up, finally, 13-12 heading into the seventh inning. Despite Springfield having all of the momentum, neither team would get a chance to seal their own fate as the officiating crew chose to call the second game due to dark conditions on the field.
“Just a gritty game in game one, and big kudos to the team to stay in it for game two,” said head coach Sam Garcia. “We emphasize playing 14 innings and we definitely have bought into that mentality.”
“It feels good to be a team that you can’t quite put away,” said Falotico.
This double-header sweep advances Springfield to 8-3 on its young season, with wins over multiple ranked teams as well as a ferocious Warriors squad. The Pride will remain at home over the weekend with a Saturday slate against Salve Regina on Potter Field.
Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics