MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The Colby College softball team split a New England Small College Athletic Conference doubleheader with Middlebury College on Saturday afternoon at the Middlebury College Softball Field. The Mules fell 4-2 to the Panthers in game one before winning 6-4 in the nightcap.

GAME ONE: Middlebury 4, Colby 2

Middlebury (22-12, 9-7 NESCAC) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI groundout.

The Mules fought back during the third stanza with two outs. Sophomore Caroline DeSimone plated senior Katelyn Hayes with a single through the right side to knot the contest. A batter later, junior Carissa Cassidy smacked a run-scoring base knock to right field for a 2-1 edge.

The Panthers grabbed the lead back in the fifth on a three-run homer over the left field wall to make it 4-2.

Junior KC DeSarno earned the start in the circle for Colby (12-17, 6-6 NESCAC), allowing one unearned run off three hits in four innings before freshman Sophia Meade (2-3) took the loss in relief of DeSarno. Meade allowed three earned runs off four hits with a strikeout in two innings.

DeSimone and Hays each recorded two hits in the setback for the Mules.

GAME TWO: Colby 6, Middlebury 4

The Mules tallied the initial run of the contest with a run-scoring single through the right side from Cassidy before Middlebury tied the game (1-1) via an RBI single up the middle in the home half.

The Panthers tallied a trio of runs during the third stanza to take a 4-1 lead.

After a rain delay of 27 minutes, the game resumed in the top of the sixth. Colby trimmed the lead down to two (4-2) on an infield base knock from junior Victoria Ramirez.

The Mules roared back during their final at-bat, scoring four runs with two outs. An RBI single down the right field line by Hays cut their deficit to one before junior Emma Burnham ripped a two-run double to right center that allowed senior Erika MacLeod and junior Kathryne Clay to cross the plate with the tying and going ahead runs. The scoring in the inning was capped by an RBI single by Ramirez to secure the 6-4 triumph.

Sophomore Ashley Correll tossed a complete-game, seven-hit performance, recording three strikeouts while allowing four earned runs to earn her fifth win of the season.

Ramirez finished with three hits for Colby, while Burnham and Hays had two hits apiece in the victory.

The Mules finish up their six-game road trip with a NESCAC doubleheader at Williams College on Sunday, with the first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.