CLERMONT, Fla. – After outscoring opponents 53-7 in their first six games of the season, the Wesleyan softball team proved they can win in more ways than one as the Cardinals topped Rutgers-Camden 6-5 and New Paltz 3-2 in eight innings on Saturday at Hancock Park. With a fourth straight sweep to start the season, Wesleyan is 8-0 and continues their best start since 2010.
 
All looked good in the early going against Rutgers-Camden, with Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25 throwing three scoreless no-hit frames to open the game, before Wesleyan plated four runs in the 3^rd inning to take the lead. Lizzie Marino '25 came around to score on an RBI double from Rebecca Cassel-Siskind '26. Still with one out, Secaira-Cotto helped her own caused with a two-run double out to center and then a Cat Palmer '26 single followed by a fielding error scored another to make it 4-0 Cardinals after three.
 
The teams traded runs in the 4^th inning before Rutgers-Camden added another in the 5^th and eventually tied the score with a three-run 6^th inning. Heading into the bottom of the 6^th tied 5-5, Wesleyan didn't take long to retake the lead as the first three batters of the inning all reached base, with Marino landing an RBI single to score Nicole Celi '27 and make it 6-5 Cardinals.
 
Armed with the one-run lead, Jacelyn Lees '28 slammed the door shut, retiring all three batters she faced in the 7^th to secure the win.
 
Despite six fielding errors, Wesleyan still found a way to win, benefiting from a 3-for-3 showing from Marino while seven other Cardinals recorded one hit including doubles from Cassel-Siskind and Secaira-Cotto while Abby Orso G'25 had a triple.
 
Secaira-Cotto worked five innings and allowed just two hits and no earned runs with no walks and two strikeouts. Lees earned the win in relief, retiring three of the four batters she faced with strikeouts.
 
Game two was a pitcher dual as the Cardinals and New Paltz combined for just 10 hits in the eight-inning contest. New Paltz struggled against Orso, getting just one runner into scoring position in the first three innings before scoring one run in the bottom of the 4^th to take the lead.
 
Orso escaped damage in the 5^th, stranding two New Paltz base runners with a line out and ground out to end the frame. Wesleyan then capitalized in the top of the 6^th, loading the bases with no one out only to see the next two batters retired with no runs scored. No with two outs and the bases still loaded, it was Waverly Smart '27 who reached due to an error out in left field that scored two runs, giving the Cardinals the lead.
 
New Paltz had the same opportunity in the bottom of the 6^th inning, loading the bases with no one out only to see Lees, who entered in relief of Orso earlier in the inning, come through with a fielder's choice out at home, followed by a sacrifice fly out to left that tied the score. The next batter singled to load the bases again with two outs in a tied game, but Lees got a line out right back to the circle to keep the score at 2-2.
 
After a scoreless seventh, Marino was placed on second base to start the 8^th inning where Lees flied out to left, advancing Marino to third. Secaira-Cotto then came through with a go-ahead sacrifice fly to left field, making it 3-2 Wesleyan heading into the bottom half.
 
With New Paltz placing a runner on second to start the inning, Lees got a fly out to right, moving the baserunner to third. Then the first-year showed true resolve, getting a strikeout and fly out to strand the would-be game-tying baserunner on third and secure another Wesleyan victory.
 
Lees got the win in relief once again, improving to 4-0 on the year as the first-year tossed three innings, allowing just two hits, one unearned run, no walks with one strikeout. Orso allowed just one run and three hits in five innings in her start.
 
Wesleyan enjoys an off day on Sunday before getting back in action on Monday morning with a doubleheader against Smith and Babson.