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MANSFIELD, Conn. – First-year righty pitcher Elizabeth Mitchell (Coventry) won both games of a doubleheader for the fourth time in three weeks, helping herself in Game 2 with a walk-off RBI triple with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Eastern Connecticut State University softball team clinched the Little East Conference regular-season title with 3-2, 6-5 victories over the University of Massachusetts Boston on the final day of the regular season Friday night at Clyde Washburne Field.

By winning its 11^th LEC regular-season title – third in four years -- since 2008, Eastern (20-16, 13-3 LEC) will host the six-team, four-day double elimination tournament beginning Wednesday at Washburne Field. Eastern has earned a first-round bye awarded the top two seeds and will open Thursday at noon against the winner of Wednesday's game between the (as of yet undetermined) No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.

Mitchell (15-6), a winner of 14 of her last 15 decisions, pitched a complete-game five-hitter without a walk or strikeout in the opener, driving in the tying run with a one-out double and scoring the go-ahead run in the team's two-run fifth inning as the Warriors clinched the regular-season title.

In the second game, Mitchell pitched the first three innings and left with the score tied 1-all, then returned with a runner on second and none out in the top of the seventh of a 5-5 game to get a 6-4-3 double play on the first pitch to Mary Matthews, and stranded a runner on second with an infield ground ball. In the bottom of the seventh, a pair of infield errors opened the door and Mitchell capitalized by driving her third triple of the season over the head of rightfielder Amsauri English to easily score senior centerfielder Maggie Baker (Hudson, MA) with the game-ending run.

In the second game, UMass (27-10-1, 8-7-1 LEC) scored twice in the top of the sixth on two hits and three walks to take a 5-2 lead, but the Warriors countered by batting around and scoring three (unearned) tying runs in the bottom of the inning on an opening infield error, two hits and two walks. The big blow of the inning was a two-run, two-out single by sophomore rightfielder Reagan Lalor (Danbury) that sent in senior second baseman Maddi Sauve (Mansfield) and junior catcher Maddy Bowen (Hudson, NH).

Mitchell, senior first baseman Maggie Rubeck (Easthampton, MA), Lalor, Mitchell and senior DP Alexa Boone (Middletown) all had two hits on the day, with Mitchell and Baker each scoring twice and sophomore shortstop Kaley Laird (Bristol) and Baker both stealing two bases. Lalor drove in three runs while Sauve and Baker both reached four times on a hit and three walks.

In 11 innings on the day, Mitchell allowed only three (earned) runs  on eight hits and four walks. None of Eastern's three pitchers struck out a batter.

Eastern's starting infield of Rubeck, Laird, Sauve and first-year third baseman Sam Healy (Cranston, RI) combined for 29 putouts and 18 assists with no errors, with Sauve making two standout defensive plays and Healy one, as did Lalor in right.

Bowen reached with a walk in the first game and with three walks in the second to extend her on-base streak to 15.

Against 16 conference opponents this year in the regular season, Mitchell was 11-1 with a save in 14 appearances (11 starts) and a 1.62 ERA. She struck out 42 and walked only nine in 86 2/3 innings. Boone batted .440 (11-of-25), Sauve .407 (22-of-54) and Bowen .396 (19-of-48) while Lalor batted .344 (11-of-32) with a .488 on-base percentage.