JOHNSON, Vt. – Johnson State College saw visiting New England College take both ends of a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) doubleheader on Tuesday to drop the Badgers to 9-20-1, 3-8-1 NAC. The Pilgrims improve to 19-13, 11-3 NAC with the 3-2 game one win and the 8-4 triumph in game two.
Game One: New England College 3, Johnson 2
Game one was well-pitched affair with a number of strong defensive plays but in the end NEC junior Gabrielle Timms (Clark Summitt, Penn./Lakeland) outdueled JSC junior Meagan Russ (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) (pictured) to earn a 3-2 win. Timms' complete-game six hitter that included five strikeouts, two walks, and two earned runs topped Russ' effort of five hits, two walks allowed, and three earned runs while striking out five.
Timms also help lead the way at the plate going 2-for-3 with an RBI while Taylor Belsito (Millbury, Mass./Millbury) went 1-for-3 with a two-run single. NEC scored all of their runs in the pivotal top of the third inning. The Pilgrims also saw Jessica Kiehl (North Haven, Conn./North Haven) go 2-for-3 with a run.
Senior Morgan Rogerson (Hardwick, Vt./Hazen) and freshman Kristy O'Donnell (Quechee, Vt./Hartford) both went 1-for-3 with an RBI single for Johnson while both junior Tanya Randall (Fryeburg, Maine/Fryeburg Academy) and sophomore Amber McCullock (Morrisville, Vt./Peoples Academy) were both 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Johnson struck first in the bottom of the first when Rogerson's RBI single plated McCullock making the score 1-0. NEC would breakthrough in the third as Kiehl singled and advanced to second on a outfield error which was followed by a Briel Lofrano (Plymouth, N.H./Plymouth) walk. Following a wild pitch, Belsito delivered her two-run single and later in the inning Timms would drive her home.
JSC cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth when Randall led off the inning with a single, was moved to second by a Amanda McLean (Woodhaven, N.Y./HS of Environmental Science) and then driven home by McDonnell's single. The Badgers would eventually load the bases but saw the threat end on a McCullock fly out to center.
Timms would slam the door on the Johnson offense the rest of the way retiring the last nine batters of the game.
Game Two: New England College 8, Johnson 4
Game two was much more offensive as the Pilgrims put up three runs in the first and five in the fourth to key the 8-4 win. Elizabeth Harrigan (Weston, Conn./Weston) would go the distance for NEC striking out two and allowing eight hits, four earned runs, and two walks while Russ would take to the circle again for Johnson this time allowing 11 hits, four earned runs, and one walk while striking out three.
Stephanie Freitag's (Lakeville, Mass./Apponequet) two-out, bases-clearing triple in the fifth inning was the big blow as she would finish the game 2-for-4 with four RBI, a run, a triple, and double. Olivia Stanley (Walpole, N.H./Fall Mountain Regional) had a 3-for-3 effort with a double and a run and LiAnn Linck (New Fairfield, Conn./New Fairfield) was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
JSC's Kirsten Rand (Colchester, Vt./Colchester) was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run and Randall had another strong game going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
Freitag's RBI double in the first put the Pilgrims on the scoreboard and that was followed up by a two-run double by Alyssa Hoot (Waterville, Ohio/Honeybaked).
Johnson would get one back in the second when with Rogerson on second Russ beat out an infield single, saw the ball squirt away, and Rogerson kept running rounding third for the run. The Badgers would get another in third inning courtesy of an RBI double by Randall that scored Rand.
The big fourth inning for NEC came following a lead-off single by Stanley which was followed by another by Belsito. Belsito's however got past McDonnell in centerfield which allowed each to take two more bases, Stanley scoring. A Linck single followed by a pair of bang-bang fielder's choice plays that saw the Pilgrim safe on both instances set the table for Freitag's three-run triple.
The Badgers would answer with two runs in the bottom of the fourth with McDonnell pushing home Russ with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Rand but that would end the JSC scoring for the day.
Johnson will move on to play on Friday at Green Mountain College at 3:30 pm while the Pilgrims will now face non-conference foe Fitchburg State College at home tomorrow at 3:30 pm.