WATERVILLE, Maine – The No. 14 ranked Colby College softball team took three out of four games from No. 25 ranked Middlebury College and Williams College on Friday and Saturday afternoon at the Colby Softball Field. The Mules fell to the Panthers in game one on Friday, 9-5, in nine innings before rally from behind to take the nightcap 2-1 to earn the split. On Saturday, the Mules swept the Ephs, earning a 5-2 win in game one and 1-0 victory in game two.
GAME 1: No. 25 Middlebury 9, No. 14 Colby 5 (9 innings)
Middlebury (24-4, 8-2 NESCAC) struck early with a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run home run down the left field line. The Panthers increased its lead two frames later by a two-run single to left.
In the bottom of the stanza, the Mules mounted a two-out rally. Junior
Ella Wilcox doubled to left center to score sophomore
Julia Berry, while Wilcox cut the deficit to 4-2 on a run-producing base knock from junior
Juliana Kiley.
Colby (20-6, 6-2 NESCAC) pulled within one on a solo homer to left field by senior
Kelsey Sullivan in the fourth before grabbing the lead in the sixth on a senior
Carissa Cassidy two-run single that plugged the right-center gap to plate Sullivan and first-year
Lauren Valji.
With one out in the seventh, pinch hitter Sarah LaFond blasted a homer that cleared the wall in left center to knot the contest at 5-5 before the Panthers sent the Mules down in order in the home half to send the game into extra innings.
The Panthers exploded with four runs on four hits in the ninth off a solo home run, a steal of home, a Colby miscue and an RBI double for a 9-5 advantage.
Middlebury retired the Mules in order in the bottom half of the fame for the four-run win.
Cassidy led the offense in game one with two hits, two RBIs, and multiple stolen bases, while Sullivan had two hits, including a home run in the setback.
In the circle, sophomore
Sophia Meade took the loss in relief after allowing five earned runs off seven hits with four strikeouts in 7.0 innings.
GAME 2: No. 14 Colby 2, No 25 Middlebury 1
In game two, Colby was in a tightly contested pitching duel against the Panthers. Middlebury jumped out to a 1-0 advantage in the third frame on a two-base knock to right field before Colby deadlocked the game at 1-1 in the fourth on a senior
Victoria Ramirez double to left center, driving in junior pinch runner
Kat Xiong.
The Mules tallied the game-winning run a stanza later. Kiley bounded a ball up the middle to push across Cassidy, who reached via an infield single.
Colby closed the door in the seventh to earn the victory and the split.
In game two, Cassidy went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a triple while sophomore
Avery Lyman added two hits, including a double in the victory.
First-year
Sharlotte Stazinski (8-2) earned the win in the circle after allowing one earned run off five hits in 6.2 innings of work. Meade picked up her fourth save of the season after pitching 0.1 innings of scoreless relief.
GAME 1: No. 14 Colby 5, Williams 2
Colby (22-5, 8-2 NESCAC) raced out to a 4-0 advantage in the first two innings, as the run included two RBI singles by Wilcox and Cassidy, an RBI double by Kiley and sacrifice fly by Wilcox.
Williams (17-12, 7-3 NESCAC) cut the lead to two with one run in the third on a RBI single to center field and another one during the fourth off a two-base knock.
The Mules ended the scoring in the sixth with a one-run double by Cassidy.
Cassidy went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, one double and one RBI to lead the Mules offensively in game one while Wilcox and Ramirez each added two hits.
Stazinski (9-2) earned the complete-game victory, giving up only one earned run in seven innings with four strikeouts.
GAME 2: No. 14 Colby 1, Williams 0
During the bottom of the fifth, Cassidy connected on the game-winning, RBI single up the middle, allowing first-year
Josephine Kim to score the winning run after entering the game as a pinch runner for Ramirez. Ramirez led off the inning with an infield single and advanced to second on a groundout by Xiong before being lifted for Kim.
Sophia Meade (7-2) earned the complete-game win in the circle for the Mules, striking out four.
Cassidy, Wilcox, junior
Caroline DeSimone, Ramirez and Sullivan recorded the Mules' five hits in the victory.
The nationally ranked Mules return to action on Thursday for a non-conference game at Thomas College. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
