MEDFORD, Mass. – The Wesleyan softball team saw their incredible 2025 campaign come to an end in the NESCAC title game as the Cardinals defeated Bowdoin 4-3 in the Semifinal but then lost to Tufts 8-3 in the Championship game from Spicer Field in Medford. Wesleyan (29-12) closes out the season as the NESCAC runner-up for the third time in team history and first since 2009.
 
Opening against the Polar Bears at Noon with a trip to the title game on the line, the three-seed Cardinals saw Bowdoin threaten in the 1^st with two runners in scoring position and one out but starting pitcher Abby Orso G'25 induced consecutive groundouts back to the circle to keep the game scoreless.
 
Wesleyan's big inning came in the 3^rd when the Cardinals scored four runs on four hits. Three straight singles from Lizzie Marino '25, Molly Lennon '26, and Rebecca Cassel-Siskind '26 to start the frame made it 1-0. Then two batters later, Orso came through with a sacrifice fly to left to score Lennon from third. Now with two outs, Waverly Smart '27 stepped up with a two-run single back up the middle that made it 4-0 Cardinals.
 
Bowdoin slowly worked their way back into the game, scoring one run in the 4^th but Orso did well to limit the damage as she got an inning-ending pop out with Polar Bear baserunners on second and third. The Polar Bears added one more in the 5^th and looked primed to take the lead in the 6^th as a leadoff single was followed by a double to put two runners in scoring position with no one out.
 
Jacelyn Lees '28, who came in to relieve Orso at the start of the 6^th inning, got a crucial strikeout on the next batter and then a fly ball to deep left field was hauled in by Marino. The runner from third scored on the play but the Polar Bears' baserunner on second got into a rundown before ultimately being tagged out for an inning-ending double play, keeping the Cardinals in front with a 4-3 lead.
 
Another scoreless half inning for the Wesleyan offense set the stage for the bottom of the 7^th when Bowdoin led off with a single before a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second. A groundout to first saw the baserunner move to third with two outs. Needing one more out for the win, Lees got Maddie Paschke to swing on a pitch well outside the strike zone to secure the Cardinals' spot in the Championship game.
 
Lennon had three of the Cardinals' seven hits in the win over Bowdoin as she went 3-for-4 with one double. Orso went 1-for-2 with 1 RBI and a hit by pitch. She also picked up the win going five innings allowing five hits and two runs. Lees recorded her first career save with the two innings of relief.
 
Facing a powerhouse Jumbo team in the title game, Wesleyan traded punched with the 15-time NESCAC Champions in the early stages. After Tufts scored one run in the top of the 1^st, Wesleyan answered right back with Orso coming through on a two-out RBI double to right.
 
The Cardinals then took the lead in the 3^rd as Lennon led off with a single to center, followed by a Cassel-Siskind walk, and Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25 knocked an RBI double to right center for the go-ahead run. Orso hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Cassel-Siskind and hand Wesleyan a 3-1 lead.
 
Tufts, however, was quick to respond as the Jumbos got a clutch two-out three-run home run from Kaitlyn Perucci to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead.
 
The Jumbos tacked on four more runs in the 5^th with big two-out RBI base hits from Madi Sewell and Bela Jimenez.
 
Lacy Chilek did the rest for Tufts, as the senior threw five scoreless innings in relief, allowing just one hit and one walk in those frames to pick up the win.
 
Orso went 2-for-2 with one double and 2 RBI in what is the final game of her collegiate career. Secaira-Cotto went 1-for-2 with 1 RBI and one walk and threw two scoreless innings in relief.
 
Wesleyan closes out the 2025 season with their most wins in team history (29), best single-season win percentage (.707), Little Three Champions for just the third time, and best start to a season in team history (10-0).