Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University softball team (18-12, 8-4 LEC) split a Little East Conference doubleheader with Rhode Island College (20-10, 5-5 LEC) on Tuesday afternoon at Clyde Washburne Field.

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The Warriors lost the first game, 2-1,  but took game two, 6-4, as Jordan Bennett (Plainville, MA) moved to 2-0 in her pitching career.  
 
Elizabeth Mitchell (Coventry) led the Warriors in game one of the doubleheader, pitching five scoreless innings before the Anchorwomen got themselves on the board. Eastern's only run of the game was delivered in the bottom of the second inning by Sam Healy (Cranston, RI) on a solo home run to left field. For the remainder of the game, the Warriors had no answer for Mia Crudale on the mound.
 
Crudale allowed just three hits all game, pitching all seven innings. Mitchell led off in the bottom of the first with a triple, but the Warriors were unable to capitalize on their opportunity. After the home run by Healy, Crudale allowed a bunt single by Kaley Laird (Bristol) before recording the final six outs.
 
The Anchorwomen scored their two runs of the first game on three doubles in the top of the sixth. Noelle Simmons doubled to lead off the inning and duo of Sydney Duclos and Jillian Guilfoyle both delivered RBI doubles to take the 2-1 lead. Crudale earned her 11th win of the season, having only lost one game on the mound. She struck out seven batters in her seven innings of work, while Mitchell recorded eight strikeouts.
 
Both teams scored early in game two, which brought runs in every inning apart from a scoreless sixth. The Anchorwomen took the 1-0 lead thanks to an RBI single from Melanie Earley that allowed Noelle Simmons to score. In the bottom of the inning, Healy drove in a run to bring the Warriors level and Grace Jenkins (Groton) hit a two run double to left field, making it 3-1.
 
Olivia Brett scored on the only error of the game in the second inning, but the Warriors responded again through Jenkins, who drove in her third run of the game in the third inning. Healy scored her third run of the day before hitting another home run to the same spot in the fifth inning. Before Healy's home run, Laird drove in a run, and Eastern afforded Bennett a four-run cushion on the mound as she entered the sixth.
 
Ashleigh von der Linden replaced Gabby Cunha on the mound for the Anchorwomen and pitched two hitless innings, striking out two batters. Bennett was pulled after 6.1 innings, striking out three and allowing three earned runs before Mitchell entered for the save. Similar to the first game, Duclos and Guilfoyle hit RBI doubles in the same inning, but the two runs were not enough, as the Warriors got back on track with a 6-4 win.
 
Eastern is back in action on Saturday for a LEC doubleheader against Plymouth State University at D&M Park in Plymouth, NH. The Panthers are 13-14-1 on the season with a 5-3 record in conference play. Plymouth State split a doubleheader with Southern Maine on Tuesday afternoon, defeating the Huskies 2-1 in the first game and losing 3-2 in the second. Last season, the Warriors hosted the Panthers twice and defeated them 11-5 and 9-6 in a regular season conference doubleheader.