CLINTON, N.Y. – The No. 19 Colby College softball team swept a NESCAC doubleheader from Hamilton College on Saturday afternoon at the Loop Road Complex on the campus of Hamilton College. The Mules won game one 7-1 and game two 9-8.

GAME 1 – No. 19 Colby 7, Hamilton 1:

Colby (17-4, 3-1 NESCAC) struck first in game one and carried that lead into the fourth inning. Junior Juliana Kiley led off the inning by reaching base on a hit by pitch, advanced to second after junior Caroline DeSimone laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a single up the middle by sophomore Avery Lyman. Kiley came home on a single through the right side by senior Victoria Ramirez to make it 1-0. Hamilton (7-18, 0-10 NESCAC) answered in the bottom of the fourth, using a Mule miscue and a wild pitch to set the table before an RBI single to centerfield to pull even with Colby.

The Mules responded quickly by breaking the game open with a six-run fifth inning. Senior Kelsey Sullivan started the rally with an infield single and later moved into scoring position after sophomore Julia Berry walked before senior Carissa Cassidy brought home Sullivan and Berry with a triple to right center. The inning continued as the Mules strung together additional hits, including a three-run home run by DeSimone to build a 7-1 lead.

Sophomore Sophia Meade retired the final nine Continentals she faced after Colby took the lead to secure the victory in game one.

Several Mules had strong performances at the plate. Cassidy led the way with two hits, including a triple, two RBI and scored once. Ramirez also collected two hits while driving in one run. DeSimone finished with a home run and three RBIs, and junior Ella Wilcox added an RBI single and a run scored.

Meade earned her fifth win of the season in the circle for the Mules, tossing 3.1 innings in relief. The left-hander allowed no hits and no runs while striking out seven batters over 3.1 innings of work. Senior KC DeSarno, who started the game for Mules, allowed one unearned run off six hits in 3.2 innings of work.

GAME 2 - No. 19 Colby 9, Hamilton 8:

In the second game, Cassidy opened the game with a lead off walk, stole second and scored on a single to right center by Kiley to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. However, Hamilton responded quickly in the bottom half of the frame to take a 4-1 lead off two RBI singles and an RBI ground out.  

Colby added a single run in second on an RBI double to left field by Cassidy before taking the lead with a four-run third inning. Wilcox led off the inning with a single up the middle, advanced to second on a single through the right side by Kiley before scoring on a single through the right side by DeSimone that allowed DeSimone to move into scoring position after Hamilton tried to throw out Kiley at third base. Ramirez ripped a three-run double to right center after Lyman was intentionally walked to load the bases to give the Mules a 6-4 advantage.

Colby added three runs in the fifth inning on a solo home run to right field by DeSimone and two-run home run to right center by Sullivan. However, the Continentals scored four runs in the bottom of the frame to cut their deficit to one, but Meade entered the game and retired the eight of the last nine batters she faced to give Colby the 9-8 victory.

Ramirez led the Mules offensively in game two, finishing with two doubles and three RBI. Cassidy also collected two doubles while driving in one. DeSimone added two hits, including a two-run home run.

In the circle, first-year Sharlotte Stazinski picked up her sixth win of the season after allowing four earned runs off eight hits with two strikeouts in 4.0 innings in relief. Meade pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit while fanning five Continentals to earn her third save of the season.

The nationally ranked Mules return to action on Sunday at Amherst College for a NESCAC doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.