MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – On a frigid afternoon with temps in the high 30's, the Wesleyan softball team dropped both games in a home doubleheader against Hamilton, 5-0 and 5-4, on what was the NESCAC opener for both teams. Wesleyan drops to 6-8 on the season while the Continentals jump to 8-6.
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A four-run 1
st inning for Hamilton proved more than enough for starting pitcher Natalie Beebe who tossed a complete game shutout with no walks and seven strikeouts. Two Cardinal errors in that 1
st inning proved costly, leading to three unearned runs as the Hamilton offense took advantage with three run-scoring hits.
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The Cardinals had their best chance up to that point in the 3
rd inning as
Darlene De La Cruz '25 led off with a double. Wesleyan later had two runners in scoring position with one out, but a fly out and strikeout left both on-base.
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Hamilton tacked on another run as Alexis Mayer tagged up from third and scored on another error for the Cardinal defense.
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Wesleyan again had runners on second and third in the 5
th inning, but couldn't get the big hit as
Waverly Smart '27 grounded out to third to end the frame. And then again in the 6
th inning, for the third time in the game, Wesleyan had two runners in scoring position, but again came up empty as Beebe retired the next two batters.
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Hannah Docktor '24 doubled to left center in the 7
th, but the Cardinals ultimately fell 5-0 in game one. Seven different Cardinals recorded a hit in the contest while
Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25 pitched well in defeat, going the distance and allowing eight hits, one earned run, and no walks with one strikeout.
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Game two saw a back-and-forth battle as Wesleyan led 1-0 before Hamilton plated three runs in the 3
rd to take a 3-1 lead. It was 4-2 Continentals entering the bottom of the 6
th when the Cardinals loaded the bases trailing by one with two outs.
Lizzie Marino '25 stepped to the plate and hit a hard grounder up the middle that was snagged by the second baseman.
Jordynn Killion '27 scored from third to tie the game, but Docktor rounded third and made a play for home but was gunned down by the shortstop, keeping the game tied 4-4 after six.
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That momentum-flipping play to end the 6
th led directly to a go-ahead run in the 7
th for Hamilton as Jordan Merklin led off with a double, was sacrificed over to third, and then came in on a Mayer single to left.
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Mayer's RBI single proved to be enough as Emma Tansky entered in relief of Teagan Graham at the start inning and retired the side in-order to seal the Continental's sweep.
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A promising start to game two saw Killion slap an RBI single to right in the 1
st, giving Wesleyan an early lead.
Revi Brown '23 retired six of the first seven batters they faced before Hamilton scored three in the 3
rd, with two runs coming in on an error.
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The Cardinals drew one run closer in the 5
th as Smart hit an RBI groundout to second to make it 3-2 Hamilton entering a decisive 6
th inning.
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Brown threw well in defeat, going six inning with eight hits and five runs (three earned) allowed on one walk with three strikeouts.
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Killion went 2-for-3 at the plate with 1 RBI and one run scored while Marino went 2-for-4 with 1 RBI to lead the Cardinal offense.
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The Cardinals are back in action next weekend with a pair of road doubleheaders at Amherst on Friday and at Middlebury on Saturday.