MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The Wesleyan softball team tied a bow on the best regular season in team history with a home doubleheader sweep of Middlebury, as the Cardinals topped the Panthers 10-0 in five innings in game 1 before plating three runs in the bottom of the 6^th inning to land a 5-3 game 2 win. The Cardinals (27-11, 12-6 NESCAC) head into the NESCAC Tournament next weekend as the three-seed and will face six-seed Bates in the Quarterfinal round on Saturday at top-seeded Tufts.
 
Looking for their first win over Middlebury since 2021, the Cardinals thoroughly dominated game one in a 10-0 mercy rule victory in five innings. Not only did the 10-run win snap a nine-game losing streak for the Cardinals against Middlebury, but it also signaled the first Wesleyan win by mercy rule over the Panthers since 2011.
 
An explosive start to this one saw Abby Orso G'25 strike out three batters in the top of the 1^st inning while Molly Lennon '26 led off with a triple in the bottom half and came in to score as Rebecca Cassel-Siskind '26 hit an RBI single to right.
 
Orso worked a 1-2-3 2^nd inning and then it was Cassel-Siskind coming through again, this time with two outs and the bases loaded as she smacked a line drive triple to right center field that emptied the bases. Cassel-Siskind then came in to score on a wild pitch, making it 5-0 Wesleyan after two innings.
 
Another scoreless frame from Orso was backed up by a four-run 3^rd inning for the Wesleyan offense. Five consecutive Cardinals reached base safely in the frame, with Jordynn Killion '27 and Sam Chappell '28 both coming through with RBI singles back up the middle. Lennon made it 9-0 Cardinals with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Chappell from third.
 
Cassel-Siskind scored on a wild pitch for the second time in the game in the 4^th inning, making it 10-0 Cardinals and Orso closed the door on a one-hit shutout, retiring the side in the 5^th inning.
 
Orso improves to 8-5 on the season, lowering her earned run average to 1.56 in 18 appearances. This is her 10^th complete game and sixth shutout of the season as she allowed just one hit and two walks with six strikeouts. Orso also reached the 100-strikeout milestone for this season as she has 102 strikeouts in 94 innings.
 
Cassel-Siskind went 2-for-2 with one walk, one triple, two stolen bases, and four RBI. Lennon scored two runs and had a triple, walk, and sacrifice fly.
 
Much like game one, Wesleyan jumped out to an early lead in game two as the Cardinals plated two runs in the 1^st inning, taking advantage of two Middlebury errors in the frame.
 
Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25 worked her way out of a bases loaded jam with one out in the 2^nd inning, keeping Middlebury off the scoreboard with a pair of groundouts.
 
Neither side got much going on offense until the 6^th inning when Middlebury plated one run on a sacrifice fly before pinch hitter Olivia Schultz came through with a two-out two-run double to left field that gave Middlebury a lead for the first time on the day.
 
That lead didn't last for long, however, as Wesleyan came through in the bottom half with some two-out magic. Jacelyn Lees '28 doubled with one out and pinch runner Bella Tassone '24, G'25 moved to third on a groundout, setting the stage for Lennon who hit a roller to shortstop that took a wild hop and ended up following to left field, platting Tassone and tying the score.
 
Cassel-Siskind then legged out an infield single to shortstop, advancing to second when Lennon alertly darted for third base on the throw to first. Now with two runners in scoring position, Seciara-Cotto stepped to the plate and came through on Senior Day with the biggest hit of the day, hitting a rope to center field that scored two to make it 5-3 Wesleyan.
 
Armed with a two-run lead, Lees finished the game strong with a scoreless 7^th inning to pick up the win and send Wesleyan into the postseason with the team's first sweep of Middlebury since 2009.
 
Cassel-Siskind reached base safely in all four of her plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with one walk, one hit by pitch, one stolen base and two runs scored. In the doubleheader, Cassel-Siskind reached base in all seven plate appearances (4-for-4, two walks, one hit by pitch). Lennon walked twice and scored two runs with one RBI in game 2.
 
Secaira-Cotto threw four no-hit innings in the start while Lees got the win, throwing three innings in relief.
 
Back in the NESCAC Tournament for the third time in the past four seasons, Wesleyan looks for their first playoff win since 2010 as the Cardinals will face Bates on Saturday. The two sides split a doubleheader in Middletown back on March 29 with the Bobcats winning game 1 in extra innings 5-2 before Wesleyan won game 2 1-0 behind a three-hit shutout from Lees.