CLERMONT, Fla. – The Wesleyan softball team opened the 2026 season with a Tuesday doubleheader in Florida. The Cardinals lost to Haverford 5-0 in the first game of the year but came back and dominated Western New England in a 14-6 win in five innings.
 
Wesleyan fell behind early against the Fords, allowing two runs in the 2^nd inning as Zoe Friedman led off with a walk and she later came around on a sacrifice fly to center from Grace Stowe. Sarah Fan legged out an RBI bunt single to first to make it 2-0 Haverford.
 
The Cardinals had two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the 2^nd, but couldn't bring any around to score. Haverford tacked on one run in the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th innings to increase their lead to 5-0. The Cardinals had one last gasp in the 6^th as Whitney Gigante '28 and Cat Palmer '26 both reached to put runners on first and third with one out, but a strikeout and failed stolen base attempt put an end to the inning.
 
Palmer went 2-for-3 at the plate against Haverford while Jacelyn Lees '28 took the loss, throwing five innings and allowing four runs on eight hits. Ella DeCrescenzo '27 finished the game, throwing two innings and allowing one run.
 
The nightcap against WNE saw the Cardinals plate nine runs in the 1^st inning and add four more in the 3^rd to lead 13-1 at one point in the contest before closing out a 14-6 win in five innings. The Cardinals batted around in the 1^st, sending 13 batters to the plate on their way to a nine-run inning. Palmer drove in the Molly Lennon '26 from second on an infield single to get the scoring started. Gigante drove Palmer and Rebecca Cassel-Siskind '26 on a two-run single to center, Jordynn Killion '27 sent an RBI double down the left field line before DeCrescenzo struck a two-run double out to right to make it 6-0. Even with two outs, the inning continued with a Lennon RBI single to right before Palmer drove in a pair on a single out to left.
 
Making her second career start in the circle, Gigante did well to hold WNE to just one run in the third as she stranded two runners on, allowing just one unearned run.
 
Wesleyan made it 13-1 after a four-run 3^rd inning, with Lennon lacing an RBI double to center field before Palmer had another two-run base hit out to left, scoring Cassel-Siskind and Lennon. Killion later came through with a two-out RBI single to center to cap the scoring in the inning.
 
WNE lowered the deficit to 13-4 with three runs in the bottom of the 3^rd but the Cardinals added one more in the 4^th as Gigante was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Cameron Maloney '29 from third.
 
The Golden Bears walked in a run in the 4^th while Olivia Lugo doubled in a run in the 5^th but it was too little too late for WNE as the eight-run mercy run meant the game finished in five innings.
 
Wesleyan totaled 17 hits in just five innings, with five Cardinals finishing with multi-hit games. Lennon and Palmer went a combined 7-for-7 with 7 RBI and four runs scored. Lennon went 4-for-4 with three runs, one double, and two RBI while Palmer went 3-for-3 with a career-high five RBI, one walk, and one run. Killion and DeCrescenzo both went 2-for-4 with one double and two RBI. Waverly Smart '27 went 2-for-3 and Gigante had three RBI.
 
Gigante finished with three innings thrown, allowing four runs (all unearned). Kelly Baker '26 and Lees closed out the final two innings.
 
Wesleyan is back in action on Wednesday with a 9 AM start against Carthage before taking on Nichols at 11:15 AM.