AMHERST, MA. – The Wesleyan softball team took a NESCAC doubleheader to the wire as they split a Friday afternoon series against the Amherst College Mammoths as they took Game One in a 9-0 shutout, defeating the Mammoths for the first time since 2016, before falling by just one run in Game Two, 9-8, from the Amherst Softball Field.

The March 30, 2016 game against the Mammoths (4-9 overall, 1-1 NESCAC) at home in Middletown ended in a 3-1 win for the Cardinals.

Molly Lennon '26 led the charge, totaling four runs over the afternoon, two in each game. While scoreless through the first three innings, the Cardinals (7-9 overall, 1-3 NESCAC) broke open the scoring in the 4^th inning with Lennon tripling out to center field before Lizzie Marino '25 ground out to the short stop to send Lennon past third and home. Cat Palmer '26 reached second after singling out left as Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25 singled down the middle of the diamond. Palmer ran home just as Rebecca Cassel-Siskind '26 sent a pitch out left again and advanced on the throw, sending Secaira-Cotto to third.

Hitting the pitch back to the pitcher, Waverly Smart '27 advanced both Secaira-Cotto and Cassel-Siskind and followed the play with a stolen second base. Singling out to short stop, Hannah Docktor '24 allowed Cassel-Siskind to score.

Following Docktor's stolen second base, two single drives put Lennon and Marino on first and second base. Lennon scores again after Palmer hits out through the left side and both Palmer and Marino advance on the throw, each gaining second base, Marino ending on third. Another ground out to the short stop by Secaira-Cotto dispatched Marino to home plate.

A walk by Alexis Amante '26 put runners on both corners before Cassel-Siskind singles for Palmer to head home for another run. Smart immediately doubled to left center, closing out the game as her swing directed both Cassel-Siskind and Ella DeCrescenzo '27, running for Amante, home for runs eight and nine.

Secaira-Cotto pitched all five innings, earning the win (4-2), allowing only three hits as she struck out two batters. Cassel-Siskind, Palmer, and Lennon all tallied two runs apiece.

Game Two went early to the Mammoths as they sought to rally back from a scoreless first game. Jenna Holmes homered in the 2^nd inning to open the scoring. The 3^rd inning saw Randi Finkelstein score on a Emma Nordstrom double. Nordstrum scored herself on a Holmes fielders choice play before Olivia Aitkin homered, Holmes and Sadie Pool on first and second base scored, boosting the Mammoths to 6-0.

The Cardinals roared back in the 4^th inning, Jordynn Killion '27 advancing to second base after singling down the left field line before Lennon sent the pitch down the middle. Killion and Lennon advanced on a wild pitch and Killion scores on Marino's hit flied out to right field. Lennon scores her third run of the afternoon on Palmer's double to left center.

Finkelstein scored at the bottom of the 4^th inning to bring the score to 7-2. Smart opened the 5^th inning singling to center, advancing on a ground out by Killion. Smart scores on Lennon's double to center and Lennon followed to home plate on Marino's single. With bases loaded, Secaira-Cotto singled, advancing Palmer and Marino just in time for Kelly Baker's '26 home run for a quadruple RBI and the Cardinals took a 8-7 lead.

Aitkin scores and ties the game at eight runs on a first base error, but Abby Moravek comes in behind her and nails the final run.

Baker pitched three innings (8 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3, SO) before she was relieved by Revi Brown '23. Brown pitched two innings (5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 SO). Lennon finished the game with two runs, one RBI and a double.

The Cardinals return to action on Saturday, March 30, when they travel to Middlebury for a NESCAC doubleheader with games beginning at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.