MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – An already historic season for the Wesleyan softball team reached a new pinnacle this afternoon as the Cardinals swept the two-time defending NESCAC Champion and No. 23 ranked Williams 2-0 and 1-0 on Saturday from the Wesleyan softball field. This marks the first time in team history that Wesleyan (19-9, 8-4 NESCAC) has ever swept the Ephs (17-9, 6-4 NESCAC).
 
Combining the two wins today with a previous sweep of Amherst, and the Cardinals are crowned Little Three Champions for just the third time in team history and first since 2013. This also represents the first time Wesleyan has swept both Williams and Amherst in the same season. The two wins loom large in the NESCAC standings as Wesleyan moves up into second place with an 8-4 league record.
 
Facing a Williams team that had been shutout just twice in 26 games heading into Saturday, the Ephs had no answer for the combination of Abby Orso G'25 and Jacelyn Lees '28 in the circle. Orso threw a three-hit complete game shutout in game 1 with no walks and eight strikeouts, as she didn't allow an Ephs baserunner to reach scoring position for the entirety of game 1. Lees followed that with a three-hit complete game shutout of her own in game 2, walking just one batter while she had just one baserunner reach second base throughout.
 
Orso outdueled Williams' ace and two-time All-American Sadie Leonard as some timely hits in the 3^rd inning proved the difference in game 1. As Orso was dealing for the Cardinals in the circle, the Cardinals came through with a two-run 3^rd inning as Lizzie Marino '25 drew a one-out walk and Molly Lennon '26 stepped up with an RBI triple right in the gap in right center that scored Marino all the way from first. With Lennon on third, the next batter Rebecca Cassel-Siskind '26 came through with a run-scoring single back up the middle to plate another and make it 2-0 Wesleyan after three.
 
Orso retired the next 10 consecutive batters, as Williams didn't have a baserunner until the 7^th when Katie Blanch reached on an infield single. Not to be outdone, Orso induced a fielder's choice out to Waverly Smart '27 at shortstop and with the game-tying run at the plate, she got Vicky Trujillo Balderas to fly out to Marino in left for what was the first time in 95 all-time meetings that Wesleyan held the Ephs scoreless in a game.
 
Looking for their first-ever sweep of Williams, the Cardinals backed up that game 1 performance with another impressive display in game 2 as Lees took on a leading role in the win. After retiring the side in-order in the top of the 1^st, Lees stepped to the plate with two outs and two runners on in the bottom half and came through with an RBI single through the right side of the Williams infield to score Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25 from second in what was the only run scored in the game.
 
Lees had a perfect game going through 3.2 innings as Williams didn't have a batter reach base until Sydney Fleming doubled to left with two outs in the 4^th inning. Lees rebounded, getting Blanch to fly out to Cassel-Siskind in center field for the inning-ending out.
 
Williams threatened again in the 5^th inning, as Balderas led off with a single and Kaia Glickman walked to put two runners on with one out. Completely unfaced however, Less bore down and got pinch hitter Emily Borrazzo to strike out swinging in the next at-bat and followed with a pop out from Lauren Davis to keep the Cardinals' lead intact.
 
Lees worked a perfect 6^th inning and retired the first two batters of the 7^th before Dani Jackman kept the game alive with a single through the left side, but Lees proved too much as she got Glickman to ground out to Cat Palmer '26 at first base to seal the a sweep in back-to-back shutouts for Wesleyan, who came into today without ever having shutout the Ephs in a game in the team's history.
 
The Cardinal defense played a perfect game in the doubleheader, as Wesleyan didn't commit a fielding error in either game 1 or game 2. Orso's shutout is her fifth of the season, lowering her ERA to 1.38 on the year, while Lees' records her fourth shutout in her rookie season, seeing her ERA drop to 1.37 with the win.
 
A quick turnaround for the Cardinals sees the team travel to Hamilton for a doubleheader on Easter Sunday in Clinton, New York. First pitch is set for Noon on Sunday.