Middlebury College Softball Splits With Wesleyan

Photo is courtesy of Middlebury College

The Middlebury softball team took game one from Wesleyan 6-0, but fell in the second game of the day by a score of 6-3. With yesterday's 2-1 win, the Cardinals (18-10, 4-5) win the NESCAC West series, 2-1. The Panthers (11-8, 1-4) return to action when they host St. Lawrence on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., while Wesleyan entertains Western New England on the same day at 3:00 p.m.

In game one, Middlebury earned four runs on four hits in the fourth inning. Emma Hamilton led off the inning with a single through the left side before being pinch run for by Kati Daczkowski, who stole second. Erin Giles doubled down the left-field line to put her team up, 1-0. Siobhan O'Sullivan followed with a rope to right center to drive in Giles, before Carlyn Vachow singled to center, moving O'Sullivan to third. Vachow stole second and Taylor Gardner grounded out to shortstop, as O'Sullivan scored through the back door. Hye-Jin Kim also grounded out to short, as Vachow crossed the plate with the team's fourth run.

Wesleyan threatened in the sixth inning, but Allison Quigley got out of a bases loaded jam to keep the
Cardinals off the board.

The Panthers added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth to make it a 6-0 game. O'Sullivan led off with a triple to left and scored when Vachow followed with a double to the same spot. After a pair of groundouts, Ali Della Volpe reached on a throwing error, allowing Vachow to cross the plate.

Quigley went the distance for the Panthers, tossing a four-hit shutout with four strikeouts to move to 5-1 on the year. Vachow finished the game 3-3 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, while Sullivan went 2-3 with a double, triple, two runs scored and an RBI.

Julie McDonald (7-3) took the loss for Wesleyan, allowing six runs and eight hits over five innings with four strikeouts. Angelina Massoia paced the Cardinal hitters with a 2-3 game.

In game two, Wesleyan scored four unearned runs in the fourth on its way to the win. Leading 1-0, the Cardinal fourth started when Della Volpe made a great catch in left to rob Isabel Linze of a base hit. Rielly Wiener reached on an error and moved to second on a single to right by Amanda Roosa. Su Pardo hit a bloop single to right to load the bases for Jamie Horm, who singled just over the head of Kim at shortstop to drive in a pair of runs. McDonald walked to load the bases again, as Olivia Gorma singled down the left-field line to drive in Pardo. Horn scored in a wild pitch after Panther starter Neve Stearns was lifted in favor of Irene Margiotta.

Middlebury answered in the bottom of the inning when Daczkowski and Vachow both walked before Giles attempted to move them up with a sacrifice. The bunt resulted in a throwing error, allowing Daczkowski to score and Vachow to move to third before Giles stole second. One out later, Sarah Freyre singled to third to drive in Vachow. Gardner followed with a sacrifice fly to left to plate Giles, making it a 5-3 game.

Wesleyan added an insurance run in the sixth when Massoia drove in McDonald with a single to right, making it a 6-3 final.

Stearns (3-5) suffered the loss, allowing five runs, one earned, along with six hits over 3.2 innings of work. Margiotta worked 1.1 innings, giving up three hits and a run, while Quigley threw a pair of scoreless innings. Freyre and Della Volpe were the only two Panthers to single in game two.

Pardo (10-2) gave up three runs, one earned and just two hits over seven innings of work to pick up the win. Rachel Kantor, Roosa, Pardo and Horm each had two hits for the Cardinals, with Horm driving in a pair.