WINTER HAVEN, FL. – The Wesleyan softball team split on opening day of 2023, dropping their season opener to Hood College 3-2 (8 in), before responding with a victory over Smith College 9-2 to close out Monday afternoon. In their first game against Hood, Wesleyan had the lead on two separate occasions in the 1^st and 3^rd innings before Hood tied it in the bottom half of the 3^rd for the second time. The two teams went scoreless the final four innings leading to extra innings where the Blazers walked it off. In game two, Wesleyan found themselves with a 3-2 advantage heading into the 5^th, before they exploded for six runs in the next two innings to secure their first victory of 2023 at 9-2. Hood opens their season 4-4, while Smith is now 2-1 through three games. Wesleyan opens the year 1-1, and will compete in another two games tomorrow, March 14^th in Florida.

HIGHLIGHTS (3-2 Loss vs. Hood College):

• Wesleyan took little time to deliver their first run of the 2023 season, scoring in the top of the 1^st. Hannah Docktor '24 got it started for the Cards with a leadoff single. She was then bunted over to second base by Alexis Campbell '22, before being driven in by Krissy Gately '24 on an RBI single. Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25 was able to retire the side in order in the bottom half and Wesleyan had a 1-0 lead after one
• Hood was able to tie the game right back up in the 2^nd inning, off two hits and a wild pitch. Secaira-Cotto forced a foul out on the ensuing batter to hold the Blazers to one run
• Docktor was the catalyst again for Wesleyan to open the 3^rd inning, opening with a leadoff single. Gately followed two batters later with her second hit of the game, but was thrown out at 2^nd on a steal attempt leading to a runner on third with two outs. Secaira-Cotto helped her own cause, ripping a single into right field to drive in Docktor and give Wesleyan back the lead at 2-1. Smith came right back with a run in the bottom half of the inning on a Jocelyn Pfleiger homer and once again the game was tied
• The two pitchers were able to shut the opposing offenses down over the next couple of innings to eventually force extras. The Blazers Jordan Long held the Cardinals to just one hit over the next four innings, while Secaira-Cotto did her best to match her holding Hood to no runs on just three hits
• In extra innings, Hood was able to eventually come through with the deciding run in the bottom of the 8^th. Wesleyan went down 1-2-3 in the top half, before the Blazers finished it in the bottom half. Hood took advantage of a Cards error, followed by a walk-off single by Rebecca Gottleib to secure the 3-2 victory for the Blazers

NOTES:

• Secaira-Cotto (7 IP, 2 ER, 5 K's) settled in nicely after giving up two early runs, holding the Blazers without a run in her final four innings in the circle
• Docktor (2-for-4, 2 R) and Gately (2-for-4, 1 RBI) both had multi-hit games for the Cards
• Wesleyan and Hood had seven hits apiece, Cards left on eight runners to the Blazers five

HIGHLIGHTS (9-2 Win vs. Smith College)

• Both pitchers were dominant over the course of the early innings. Brooklin Williams '23 shined for Wesleyan, not allowing a single hit until the 4^th inning. Kaitlen Beals was solid through two innings on the Pioneers side, holding Wesleyan scoreless.
• Despite not getting a hit, the Pioneers were able to strike first in the top of the 3^rd. An error, followed by a ground out and suicide squeeze led to Smith obtaining a 1-0 advantage on the Cardinals. Wesleyan was able to answer in the bottom half, starting with a Revi Brown '23 homerun to left field that was eventually followed by a Molly Lennon '26 RBI-single to center field making it 2-1
• After Smith was able to tie the game in the top of the 4^th, Brown came up big again for the Cards. The senior delivered their 2^nd homerun in as many innings to once again put Wesleyan on top 3-2.
• The Cardinals found a plethora of insurance runs in the bottom of the 5^th to stretch out their lead. They put together four hits to go along with capitalizing on two Pioneer errors to make it 8-2 heading into the 6^th. The big hits in the inning came from Lennon who singled home one, and Williams and Darlene De La Cruz '25 who both contributed RBI-doubles. Wesleyan added one more run in the bottom of the 6^th to reach the final score of 9-2

NOTES:

• Williams (5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 K's) was impressive in her first start of the season, securing a win while only allowing two hits. Kelly Baker '26 (2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 K's) made her Wesleyan pitching debut, closing the door on the Pioneers over the final two innings
• Brown (2-for-2, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBIs) and Lennon (3-for-4, 3 RBIs, 1 R) had the big days at the plate for the Cards. Brown secured their 2nd two home run game of their career, while Lennon put together three hits in her 2^nd game as a Cardinal
• Wesleyan finished the game with 11 hits, while holding Smith to just three

UP NEXT:
The Cardinals will continue their Spring Break Trip in Florida with two more games tomorrow, March 14^th, against St. Scholastica and Salve Regina.