This past weekend, the softball team faced Little Three rival Amherst College, which was ranked 23rd in Division III heading into the series. Going into the weekend, the Lady Cards were more than aware of Amherst’s perfect 6-0 NESCAC West record, while they sat with a division record of only 3-6. As the games grow fewer by the day, the matchup was a call to action for a chance to make postseason play.
In the first of the three-game series, the Cardinals traveled to Amherst, Mass. to face the Lady Jeffs on their home turf. In the first inning, Amherst came out swinging and scored three runs on two hits. Coming back from this deficit, the Cardinals earned runs in the third, fifth, and sixth innings to even the score at three apiece. Allee Beatty ’13 and Amy Lindland ’14 each recorded hits in the third inning, and Beatty knocked in RBIs in both the third and fifth innings. Wesleyan’s final run came in the sixth inning on a solo home run from Tori Redding ’13.
But with the game coming down to the wire, the Lady Cards were unable to gain any offensive momentum. Amherst was able to drive in one more run in the bottom of the seventh inning, walking off with the 4-3 win over the Lady Cards.
On Saturday, the teams travelled back to Middletown for a doubleheader. Between the two games, the Cardinals honored their four seniors—Alexis Kral, Sam Epstein, Dana Levy, and Chrissy Bello—before their last conference home game with Senior Day celebrations.
In the first of the two games on Saturday, Amherst came out to a quick lead 3-0 in the first inning. They added two more runs in the third inning before the Lady Cards were able to get on the board. Beatty tripled and then scored on a wild pitch to bring the score to 5-1 going into the fourth inning, but the Cardinals were unable to tame Amherst’s offense. The game ended after five innings with a score of 10-1.
The second game, unfortunately, yielded similar results. Amherst earned five runs in both the second and fifth innings. The Cardinals attempted to catch up in the sixth inning; Redding and Bello singled, allowing Kral to bring them both home with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. The Lady Jeffs’ lead was just too great, however, and the Cardinals were unable to battle back. The game ended in six innings with a final score of 10-2.
These games signify the end of NESCAC West play for the Cardinals. They finish up with a division record of 3-9. Up next, the Lady Cards face Western New England on April 24.