NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Wesleyan softball team never trailed in both games of a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader at Coast Guard, securing a 6-3 win in game one and a 7-4 triumph in game two as the Cardinals swept the Bears from Nitchman Field. With the two wins, the Cardinals (25-11) broke the single-season wins record, surpassing the previous record of 24 that was held by the 2010 and 2013 squads.
Wesleyan set the tone with a two-run 1
st inning in game one.
Molly Lennon '26 stepped to the plate and sent a leadoff homer over the center field fence.
Abby Orso G'25 later came through with an RBI groundout to third, with
Rebecca Cassel-Siskind '26 scoring on the play to make it 2-0 Cardinals.
Coast Guard plated one unearned run in the 2
nd inning but
Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25 kept hold of the lead, throwing scoreless frames in the 3
rd and 4
th innings. The offense then picked up in the 5
th with Orso delivering an RBI single to right field, followed by two-out run-scoring singles from
Waverly Smart '27 and
Jordynn Killion '27 to spot Wesleyan a 5-1 lead.
The Bears loaded the bases in the 5
th inning, sending the go-ahead run to the plate, but Secaira-Cotto struck out Dana Walker to keep the four-run lead intact. Secaira-Cotto's start came to an end in the 6
th as she was lifted for Orso with one out and the bases loaded and the graduate student came through with an inning-ending double play. Natalie Beck laid down a bunt that popped up back Orso at the circle, who then tagged out Maura Murphy who left third base trying to score on the play.
Secaira-Cotto smacked a leadoff home run in the 7
th inning and then Orso closed the door in the 7
th inning despite a two-run homer from Bridget Bartz as the Cardinals claimed the 6-3 win.
Wesleyan totaled 11 hits with
Cat Palmer '26 going 4-for-4 at the plate, recording her first career four-hit game. Secaira-Cotto picked up the win going 5.1 innings with one unearned run allowed on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
Game two started just like the first as the Cardinals plated three runs in the 1
st inning, with
Jacelyn Lees '28 coming through with a bases loaded two-run single. Another run came in on an error to spot Lees a three-run lead heading into the bottom half.
Coast Guard lowered the deficit to one on a Hayden Reilly two-run home run in the 3
rd inning but Lees limited the damage with a clean 4
th inning and the Cardinals got one run back in the 5
th as Cassel-Siskind doubled to right center and later came in to score on a Palmer RBI bunt single to third base.
The Bears again made it a one-run game in the 6
th, plating an unearned run, but Lees again battled and kept Wesleyan in the lead with a fielder's choice out to end the frame and give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead entering the 7
th inning.
Wesleyan then erupted for a three-run inning, with the first run coming in on a fielder's choice to shortstop as Cassel-Siskind beat the throw home from shortstop. Palmer then doubled to right center to put two runners in scoring position, who both came in to score on an error.
Armed with a four-run lead, Lees had more than enough cushion to shake off a Bartz leadoff homer in the 7
th, getting the next three batters out to finish off a 7-4 win.
Cassel-Siskind went 3-for-4 in the game two win with two doubles and three runs scored. Palmer finished 2-for-3 with one walk and one double as she went 6-for-7 at the plate in the two games combined.
Lees threw a complete game, striking out six in the win to improve to 13-2 on the season.
Wesleyan closes out the regular season on Saturday with a home doubleheader against Middlebury starting at Noon.