MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The Wesleyan softball team managed a split in Thursday's home doubleheader against Westfield State, holding off a late rally attempt from the Owls to win game one 3-2 before the two sides combined for 24 hits in an 11-8 win for Westfield State in game two. The Cardinals are now 17-9 on the season while the Owls are 23-7.
 
Game one opened with starting pitcher Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25 mashing a solo home run in her first at-bat, helping her own cause to spot the Cardinals a 1-0 lead through one inning. Both Secaira-Cotto and Westfield State pitcher Katherine Canty settled in, not allowing a baserunner to reach scoring position for nearly three full innings.
 
Westfield State stranded runners in scoring position in both the 5^th and 6^th innings, setting the stage for a crucial two-run bottom of the 6^th for Wesleyan. Cat Palmer '26 reached first on a fielding error, then alertly stole second base on the same play. Abby Orso G'25 followed with a slow roller to second and with Orso digging down the first base line, a throwing error on the play to first allowed Palmer to score and Orso to advance to second. Later with one in the frame, Sam Chappell '28 legged out an infield single and Jacelyn Lees '28 came through with a pinch hit sacrifice fly out to center to make it 3-0 Wesleyan.
 
The game very nearly finished in a shutout as the first two Owls in the 7^th inning flied out, but Westfield State kept the game alive with a walk and single to right, followed by an error which led to a run scoring from second. Abby Clark then doubled to left to score another and with the go-ahead run now on second base, Secaira-Cotto bore down and induced a fly out to right to finish off the win.
 
Secaira-Cotto picked up her third win of the season, throwing a complete game with seven hits and one walk to go along with three strikeouts while both runs she allowed were unearned. The senior also homered for the fourth time this season.
 
Molly Lennon '26 reached a milestone with her single to center field in the 5^th inning, as she became the 24^th player in Wesleyan softball history to record 100 career hits.
 
Game two was a much different story as the Westfield State claimed an 11-8 win in a game that saw each team record 12 hits.  The Owls opened with two runs in both the 2^nd and 3^rd innings before Wesleyan answered with a three-run bottom of the 3^rd. Kelly Baker '26 singled through the right side and one batter later, Lennon lofted a deep home run out to center field to cut the Owls' lead in half.
 
Momentum swung right back in favor of Westfield State as the Owls plated five runs in the next inning, making it a 9-3 lead. It was 10-3 Westfield State before Wesleyan scored one run in the 5^th on a two-out Cat Palmer '26 RBI single to left. Wesleyan scored two more in the 6^th with Orso hitting a pinch hit two-run home run out to left field.
 
Trailing 11-6 heading into their final at-bats, Wesleyan managed to score twice in the bottom of the 7^th as Waverly Smart '27 hit a run-scoring double to left field while Ella DeCrescenzo '27 singled to center to score another, but it was too little too late for the Cardinals in a 11-8 defeat.
 
Rebecca Cassel-Siskind '26 went 2-for-3 with one walk, one double, and two runs scored. Smart and Palmer each went 2-for-4 at the plate while the home run was Orso's third of the season.
 
A big weekend looms for the Cardinals, starting on Saturday with a home doubleheader against No. 23 Williams with game one beginning at Noon.