MIDDLETOWN, Conn.  – The No. 15 ranked Colby College softball team dropped both games of a NESCAC doubleheader to Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon at the Wesleyan Softball Field. The Mules fell 6-4 to the Cardinals in the opener and 5-1 in the nightcap.
GAME 1: Wesleyan 6, No. 15 Colby 4
Wesleyan University (16-13, 6-8 NESCAC) jumped out to a 6-0 lead with all six runs coming in a span of three innings. The Cardinals opened the scoring with a three-run third inning on an RBI single to center field, an RBI groundout then with a two-out, RBI double to center field to make it 3-0 Wesleyan.
Wesleyan added a single run in the fourth on an RBI double to left field before tacking on two more runs on four hits in the fifth inning.
Trailing 6-0 heading into their last at-bats in the seventh inning, Colby's (22-7, 8-4 NESCAC) bats started to come alive as sophomore
Avery Lyman led off the inning with an infield single. She advanced to second on an infield single by senior
Victoria Ramirez before Lyman was replaced with first-year pinch runner
Lauren Valji. Ramirez moved up a base when senior
Kelsey Sullivan reached base on a fielder's choice after the Cardinals forced Valji out at third base. Ramirez was then lifted for first-year pinch runner
Josephine Kim. Kim and Sullivan both advanced a base after sophomore
Julia Berry roped a single to center field to set up senior
Carissa Cassidy who then hit a bases clearing double out to center field to cut their deficit in half.
Cassidy would later score the Mules final run of the game off a Wesleyan miscue before the Cardinals got the Mules to ground into a game-ending fielder's choice out to third to finish off the 6-4 game one win.
In the circle, first-year
Sharlotte Stazinski (9-3) took the loss after allowing six runs (three earned) off ten hits in 4.2 innings with four strikeouts. Junior
Ashley Correll pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. She was credited with one punch-out.
Offensively, Cassidy finished with three hits, a run scored and a stolen base, including double while driving in three runs to lead the Mules in game one. Junior
Juliana Kiley had two hits in the setback.
GAME 2: Wesleyan 5, No. 15 Colby 1
The Mules jumped out to a 1-0 lead, scoring one run on an error in the opening half inning. Cassidy led off the game with a single down the right-field line, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing miscue off a ground ball that was hit by Kiley.
The Cardinals answered right back with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame with an RBI single through the left side.
Wesleyan took a two-run lead in the third with a solo shot out to left center and a two-out in RBI double to left center to give them a 3-1 lead.
The Cardinals plated two insurance runs in the fourth off a wild pitch and RBI triple to left center to make it 5-1 Wesleyan.
Cassidy finished with three hits and a run scored, while Ramirez and junior
Caroline DeSimone each had two hits to lead the Mules offensively in game two.
In the circle, junior
KC DeSarno (5-1) allowed three earned runs off five hits in three innings to earn her first loss of the season. First-year
Lucy Stathis pitched three innings in relief, allowing two earned runs off two hits with two strikeouts.
The Mules conclude their trip to Connecticut on Sunday when they take on Trinity College in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
