MEDFORD, Mass. – Trailing 1-0 and without a hit through three innings, the three-seed Wesleyan softball team turned the game around with a three-run 4
th inning which proved enough in a 4-2 win over six-seed Bates in the NESCAC Quarterfinal on Saturday night from Spicer Field on the campus of Tufts University.
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This marks the first postseason win for the Cardinals (28-11) since winning the 2010 NESCAC Championship game as Wesleyan advances to the Semifinal round at Noon on Sunday where they will meet seven-seed Bowdoin for a trip to the NESCAC title game which is scheduled for 2:30 PM on Sunday.
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Bates jumped out to an early lead in their first at-bats, taking advantage of an error in the field to plate a run in the 1
st inning.
Abby Orso G'25 settled into the game and worked perfect 1-2-3 innings in the 2
nd and 3
rd before holding Bates scoreless again in the 4
th despite a runner reaching second base with one out in the frame.
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The script flipped in the bottom of the 4
th when
Molly Lennon '26 smacked a leadoff homer out to left field to tie the game on her sixth home run of the season.
Rebecca Cassel-Siskind '26 followed with a double to left center and after consecutive foul outs, Orso drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out RBI double to deep center field.
Waverly Smart '27 then stepped to the box and smacked a run-scoring single to center field that spotted the Cardinals a 3-1 lead after four.
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Wesleyan increased their lead in the 5
th when
Sam Chappell '28 led off with a single to left center and advanced to second on a fielding error. A groundout to short moved Chappell over to third who scored on a would-be sacrifice fly out that was mishandled by the Bates right fielder.
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The Bobcats made their move in the 6
th inning when Ella Maher led off with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Orso, however, did well to induce a line out and fielder's choice out to second followed by an inning-ending groundout to Lennon at second that limited Bates to just one run in the frame.
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Needing just three outs leading 4-2 in the top of the 7
th, Smart made the defensive play of the game when Sophie Garber hit a liner up the middle that saw Smart make a diving stop on the ball to her left. She then quickly got to her feet and tossed a dart to
Cat Palmer '26 at first base, beating Garber to the bag for the first out of the inning.
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Feeding off the Smart gem, Orso got a groundout to third and a game-ending strikeout to send the Cardinals into the Semifinals.
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Orso was stellar in the circle, throwing a complete game three-hitter with just one earned run allowed and two walks with six strikeouts. This is her second career postseason win while she also drove in the go-ahead run with her RBI double in the 4
th.
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Three of the five Wesleyan hits went for extra bases including the Lennon homer that first tied the score. Lennon finished with 2 RBI while Cassel-Siskind hit her 10
th double of the season and also walked as she reached base in two of her three plate appearances.
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Wesleyan shifts focus to the Semifinal against Bowdoin at Noon on Sunday. The Cardinals swept the Polar Bears 4-3 and 2-0 at home back on March 22.