LEWISTON, Me. – Three Cardinal pitchers combined to allow just two runs over 14 combined innings, as the Wesleyan softball team swept Bates 2-1 and 3-1 on Saturday. Wesleyan (15-15, 6-8 NESCAC) has won four straight NESCAC games, continuing to move up the standings with just one week remaining in the regular season.
 
Game one saw Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25 go the distance, allowing just one run on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout, earning her eighth win of the season in her ninth complete game of 2024.
 
The Cardinal offense couldn't get much going against Bates starter Delaney Rankin, but did string together a leadoff single from Molly Lennon '26 in the 2^nd, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Lizzie Marino '25. After a strikeout, Rankin walked Secaira-Cotto, putting two runners on with two outs, but Rankin bore down and got an inning-ending strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
 
A leadoff double from Isabel Bettencourt was dealt with by Secaira-Cotto and the Cardinal defense as a groundout, followed by an fielder's choice at third from Jordynn Killion '27 got Bettencourt out trying to score on the play. Secaira-Cotto finished up the inning with a strikeout of Grace Householter.
 
Secaira-Cotto helped her own cause in the 4^th as Lennon reached early in the inning with a single up the middle and Nicole Celi '27 walked to put two runners on with two outs. On the Secaira-Cotto at-bat, she ripped a two-run double to right field, spotting herself a 2-0 lead heading to the bottom half of the 4^th.
 
In that half inning, the Cardinals again escaped with no runs allowed as Bates put runners on the corners with one out, but again failed to drive in a run as Ella Maher grounded out to third and Householt grounded back to Secaira-Cotto to end the threat.
 
Bates did finally get one across in the 5^th, halving the deficit to 2-1, but after an inning-ending double play ball in the 6^th, Secaira-Cotto worked a perfect 1-2-3 7^th inning to secure the 2-1 win.
 
Secaira-Cotto went 2-for-2 with 2 RBI and one walk at the plate, reaching base in all three plate appearances. Lennon went 2-for-3 with one run to account for the Wesleyan hits.
 
Game two played over much like the first, with two early runs proving enough to hold up for the win. Wesleyan had runners on second and third with one out in the 3^rd inning and Killion came through with an RBI infield single to put the Cardinals on the board. Game two starter Kelly Baker '26 helped her own caused with an RBI single to left to plate another, making it 2-0.
 
Bates got one back in the bottom of the 3^rd, but Baker bore down and finished the inning with a groundout, leaving Bobcats stranded on first and third.
 
An insurance run came in the 6^th as Cat Palmer '26 came through with an RBI single up the middle, plating Lennon from third and making it 3-1 Wesleyan.
 
Ella DeCrescenzo '27, who entered in relief of Baker at the start of the 4^th inning, cruised in her first two innings before running into some trouble in the 6^th. A one out double from Rachel Liazos was followed by a Bettencourt single up the middle, but the first-year got a fly out to center to end the inning with two Bobcats left on base.
 
In the final Bates at-bats in the 7^th, DeCrescenzo worked another great inning, inducing a ground out to short before two foul outs closed out the game and secured DeCrescenzo's first career win.
 
She threw four shutout innings in relief with four hits allowed and no walks. Baker threw well in her start, going three innings with just one hit and one run allowed.
 
Baker also went 2-for-4 at the plate with 1 RBI while Killion and Palmer both have one hit and 1 RBI and Marino went 2-for-4 with one run from the top of the lineup.
 
Wesleyan looks to continue its upward trajectory with a Sunday doubleheader at Bowdoin starting at Noon.