CLERMONT, Fla. – The Wesleyan softball team split Tuesday's doubleheader down in Florida, defeating Rutgers-Camden 10-2 in five innings in game one before seeing Meredith plate three runs in the bottom of the seventh, taking a 4-3 walk-off win in game two. After splitting both doubleheaders to start the season, the Cardinals stand at 2-2.
 
The bats came alive for Wesleyan in game one, as the Cardinals generated 13 hits including five doubles, scoring six runs in the fifth inning to take the 10-2 mercy rule victory. Wesleyan drew first blood in the opening inning, with the first three batters each recording a single to load the bases. Cat Palmer '26 stepped to the plate and smacked a bases-clearing double to center, scoring three.
 
Rutgers-Camden plated one run in the third and had the bases loaded in the fourth but only managed one run, making it a 3-2 game heading into the bottom half. Alexis Amante '26 ripped her first career double to right field and after Lizzie Marino '25 was hit by a pitch, Waverly Smart '27 lofted an RBI double to left that scored Amante but Marino was gunned down at home.
 
Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25 recorded her first 1-2-3 inning on the circle in the top of the fifth, setting the stage for the game-ending six-run fifth for the Cardinals. Secaira-Cotto led off with a double to center, followed by Palmer's second double of the game, scoring Secaira-Cotto. An error scored another run to make it 6-2 Cardinals and later with two outs, Marino came through with a two-run single to right that scored Revi Brown '23 and Hannah Docktor '24. Still with two outs and two runners on, Molly Lennon '26 hit an infield single and an error on the play scored Marino and Smart, giving Wesleyan the 10-2 win.
 
The top five batters in the Cardinal lineup combined to go 11-for-16 at the plate with seven runs scored and 7 RBI. Marino finished 3-for-3 with 2 RBI, two runs scored, and a hit-by-pitch, reaching base safely in all four plate appearances. Smart also went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, 1 RBI, and one walk. Palmer finished 2-for-3 with 4 RBI and two doubles. Lennon had a two-hit game as well.
 
Secaira-Cotto went all five innings, earning the win as the two runs she allowed were both unearned. She allowed five hits and one walk in her five innings of work.
 
Game two saw the Cardinals take on Meredith, which was very much a pitchers' dual in the early going. Neither side scored until the fourth when Smart and Lennon both singled to start the inning and Secaira-Cotto followed with an RBI single to center to make it 1-0 Cardinals.
 
Meredith came through with a two-run RBI single in the fifth, tying the score at 1-1, but Wesleyan answered right back in the top of the sixth with a two-run frame. Lennon led off with a single and Secaira-Cotto came through again, knocking a triple to right center, scoring Lennon from first. Palmer then reached on a fielder's choice, scoring pinch runner Bella Tassone '24 from third.
 
After entering in the circle in the bottom of the fifth, Brown came up with a crucial double play ball after Meredith led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. Then in the seventh, an early error in the inning loomed large as the bases were loaded with one out. A fly out to center on the next batter put the pressure on with two outs, but Meredith's Avery Puryear came through with a clutch two-run single to center, making it 3-3. On the next batter, Lillie Davis played hero as her single through the left side of the infield scored the runner from third in a walk-off 4-3 win for Meredith.
 
Secaira-Cotto led the way, going 2-for-3 with 2 RBI while Lennon went 2-for-3 with one run scored. All six Cardinal hits came from the #1 through #4 positions in the lineup.
 
Kelly Baker '26 started the game and went 4.1 innings with just two hits and one run allowed. Brown took the hard luck loss as all three runs they allowed were unearned.
 
Wesleyan enjoys an off day on Wednesday before resuming play with a Thursday doubleheader against Wisconsin-Platteville and Susquehanna.