HARTFORD, Conn. – After suffering a tough 6-5 loss to Trinity in eight innings in game one, the Wesleyan softball team bounced back in a big way, defeating the Bantams 5-0 in game two as the two sides split the Sunday doubleheader in Hartford. Wesleyan (23-11, 10-6 NESCAC) keeps hold of their top four status in the NESCAC standings while the Bantams (10-19, 3-12 NESCAC ) sit in last place in the league.
 
A positive start to game one saw Abby Orso G'25 work on a no-hitter through 3.2 innings before she gave up a single to left center with two outs. Later in that inning, Trinity loaded the Kellie Schroffner but Orso got her to strike out looking to keep the game scoreless.
 
Wesleyan broke the game open in the 5^th inning with a four-run top half of the frame. With two outs and runners on third and first, Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25 came through with a bloop single out to right center that scored Molly Lennon '26 in what was the game's first run. Cat Palmer '26 then singled up the middle to plate another, followed by Orso who helped her own cause with a two-run infield single.
 
Trinity loaded the bases in the bottom of the 5^th, only to see Hannah Mullaney line out to Cassel-Siskind in center field to end the inning. Wesleyan then loaded the bases in the 6^th inning, but couldn't generate any runs as Secaira-Cotto flied out to center.
 
The Bantams plated two runs with two outs in the 6^th inning to cut the deficit in half, but the Cardinals scratched together another run in the 7^th when Jordynn Killion '27 came through with an RBI single through the left side of the infield to score Kelly Baker '26 from second.
 
Leading 5-2 entering the bottom of the 7^th, a ground out and fielder's choice sandwiched around a walk saw the Bantams looking to stay alive despite trailing by three with two outs. The next batter reached with a walk and then came in to score as Emily Goddard lofted a two-run triple to right center. Then a grounder was hit to short where Waverly Smart '27 initially bobbled the ball and her throw to first was not in time to get Isabella Calagna as the Bantams sent game one into extras.
 
Wesleyan had runners on second and first in the top of the 8^th but failed to score. Then in the bottom of the 8^th, two key errors in the inning came back to bite the Cardinals as the game-winning run was scored on a near double-play as an errant through wide of first base allowed the winning run to score all the way from first.
 
Needing a bounce back performance in game two, Wesleyan delivered in a 5-0 win as Jacleyn Lees '28 tossed another complete game shutout while the top three batters in the Cardinal lineup combined to go 6-for-9 with five extra base hits and 5 RBI.
 
Wesleyan came through in the 1^st inning, as back-to-back triples from Molly Lennon '26 and Cassel-Siskind opened the scoring. Secaira-Cotto's fly ball to left plated another as it was 2-0 Wesleyan before Trinity had their first at-bats.
 
Lees opened with a double and hit by pitch, followed by a wild pitch as Trinity had runners on third and second with no one out in the bottom of the 1^st. Lees, however, bore down and got a line out, strikeout looking, and pop out to second base to leave the inning with no runs allowed.
 
The first-year Lees worked back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the 2^nd and 3^rd before she again loaded the bases in the 4^th, only to see her get a lineout from Goddard to keep the shutout intact.
 
The Cardinals got some much-needed insurance as Secaira-Cotto came through with a two out two-run double that scored Lennon and Nicole Celi '27, making it 4-0 Wesleyan.
 
Lees left one runner on-base in both the 5^th and 6^th innings while Wesleyan plated another run in the 7^th when Cassel-Siskind tripled for the second time in the game, scoring Celi from first to make it 5-0 Wesleyan.
 
Trinity brought the game-tying run to the plate in Rogers but a fly out to right capped the threat and sealed a 5-0 win for the visitors.
 
Lees dominated once again, throwing a complete game shutout with eight hits allowed and one walk with three strikeouts. Lees improves to 12-2 on the season while having thrown 29.1 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. She now has six shutouts on the season including a recent speck with three shutouts in her past four starts, with the exception being a complete game where she allowed just one unearned run seven innings.
 
Lennon finished 3-for-4 with one double, one triple, and three runs scored. Cassel-Siskind went 2-for-3 with two triples and 2 RBI. Secaira-Cotto went 1-for-2 with 3 RBI to account for all five of Wesleyan's runs.
 
The Cardinals head into the final week of the regular season where they will first head to Coast Guard on Tuesday for a doubleheader starting at 3 PM.