CLINTON, N.Y. – The Wesleyan softball pitching duo of Jacelyn Lees '28 and Abby Orso G'25 dominated once again, leading the Cardinals to a doubleheader split at Hamilton on Easter Sunday. The Cardinals took down the Continentals 6-1 in game two after falling 1-0 in eight innings in game one. The game two win sealed the first 20-win season for Wesleyan (20-10, 9-5 NESCAC) since 2016 while the Continentals (13-7, 5-5 NESCAC) lose for just the second time at home this season.
 
Game one was a classic pitcher's duel between Orso and Emma Tansky as the first batter to reach base (for either team) came in the 4^th inning while neither side recorded a base hit until the 5^th inning. Wesleyan put two runners on with one out in that 5^th inning, with Orso singling to shortstop and Waverly Smart '27 following with an infield hit, but a fielder's choice out and strikeout from Tansky kept the game scoreless.
 
Orso's no-hit bid ended in the bottom of the 5^th while she escaped with no runs allowed despite Hamilton having a baserunner on second base with one out.
 
Both teams had a runner in scoring position with one out in the 6^th inning, but Orso and Tansky again proved up to the task. After a clean 7^th inning with no batters reaching, the game was sent into extra innings.
 
In the 8^th inning, pinch hitter Whitney Gigante '28 led off with a triple to left, but the Cardinals were unable to execute as a pop out from the next batter was followed by a fielder's choice out at home as pinch runner Bella Tassone '24, G'25 ran into a pickle as Hamilton eventually tagged her out trying to score the go-ahead run. With a runner still on second base and two outs, Tansky got out of the inning inducing a fly out to left.
 
Hamilton then capitalized in the bottom half, as Miranda Mosqueda singled back up the middle with two outs and no one on, setting the stage for Alexis Mayer who ripped a double down the left field line that saw Mosqueda score all the way from first to give Hamilton the walk-off win.
 
Orso was masterful despite the hard luck loss, throwing 7.2 innings with four hits and one run allowed. She walked just two batters and struck out nine in 133 pitches.
 
After suffering the walk-off defeat, Wesleyan managed to bounce back in a big way in game two, getting on the board with a two-run 2^nd inning. Smart walked with no one on and two outs, followed by walks to Kelly Baker '26 and Nicole Celi '27 to load the bases for Lizzie Marino '25 who came through with a two-run single to right.
 
Wesleyan tacked on three more runs in the 4^th inning, with an error out in left field allowing Smart to score from second base. Then Rebecca Cassel-Siskind '26 came through with a two-out, two-run triple out to right center that plated Celi and Molly Lennon '26 to make it 5-0 Cardinals.
 
Lees was dealing throughout, having allowed just two hits in the first four innings. Hamilton plated one unearned run in the 5^th to lower the deficit to 5-1, and the first-year battled in the 6^th inning, getting back-to-back outs after walking consecutive batters in the frame.
 
The Cardinals plated an insurance run in the 7^th when Lennon led off with a triple to right before Orso knocked a pinch hit RBI triple to center to make it 6-1 Wesleyan. Lees finished the job with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 7^th to seal the game two win.
 
Lees finished with a complete game five-hitter, allowing just one unearned run with two walks and two strikeouts. In 14 innings this weekend, Lees allowed no earned runs while picking up wins over Williams and the Continentals.
 
Lennon went 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs, and one triple in game two. Smart reached base safely in two of her three plate appearances.
 
Wesleyan is back at home this coming week with a doubleheader against WestConn on Thursday starting at 3 PM.