Wesleyan softball came into April riding one of the best starts in program history. However, with the majority of the NESCAC schedule still left, the Red and Black had a lot to prove before being recognized as serious contenders.
After a tough series against Tufts, the Cards got set for a Wednesday, April 9 double-header against Albertus Magnus College.
The first game was a pitcher’s duel, with both pitchers shutting down the other teams’ offense. After five innings, the score was tied at zero and Cards pitcher Abby Orso MA ’25 had a no-hitter. In the top of the sixth, first baseman Cat Palmer ’26 laced a double to right-center, scoring two to give Wes the lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Orso continued her dominance, but in the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons stormed back, breaking up the no-hitter and scoring three to walk off against the Cards.
The pitching was strong in the second game, as pitcher and first baseman Jacelyn Lees ’28 tossed five innings of one-run ball. Still, the offense was unable to get one across, so the Cards fell 0–1.
Getting back into NESCAC play, the Cards made the long trek up to Waterville, Maine to take on Colby for a two-game slate on Friday, April 11. The series was especially important to Orso, who spent four years with the Mules as an undergraduate. She got a chance to show them her stuff as the game one starter.
“We knew it was definitely going to be an emotional game, just because of Abby. And we knew it was probably going to be back and forth just because they’re nervous to play us, and we’re nervous to play them,” Palmer said. “So that was a weird dynamic, and you can kind of feel the tension throughout the game.”
Orso had a great start in game one, tossing all six innings with one earned run. Unfortunately, similarly to the series before, the Cards came up short. With the Mules scoring one in the first and one in the third, the Cards were unable to dig themselves out of a 0–2 hole.
With their worst slide of the season, the Cards were desperate to break out, and in game two, they did just that. Pitcher and first baseman Isabella Secaira-Cotto ’25 got the Cards on the board with a single up the middle, scoring infielder Molly Lennon ’26 on a throwing error to put Wesleyan up 1–0. The Mules tied it up in the bottom of the fourth, but in the top of the fifth, the Cards’ bats lit up the scoreboard. Lennon got it started with a two-run bomb and Lees drove in another two with a double. The Mules’ shoddy defense kept the Cards flying around the bases; Wesleyan scored nine before the frame was over. Lees shut it down from the mound in the bottom of the fifth to secure the run-rule win 10–1. With the win, the Cards improved their record to 16–8 and 6–4 in conference.
“Putting pressure on Colby’s defense was really important,” Lees said. “We really capitalized on walks and errors and we came up with small singles, doubles to get those runs in. And I think that was a really important part, […] that it wasn’t all home runs, doubles, triples. It was walks and singles that got us the win.”
The Cards looked to keep the momentum going with a Thursday series against Westfield State University. The Cards took a 3–0 lead in the first game, and although the Owls threatened in the final frame, Wes held on to win 3–2. Lennon made history alongside the win, lacing a fifth-inning single for her 100th career hit. With the knock, she joins 22 other Cardinals in the exclusive club.
The second game was close as well, but although the Cards put together a late-game push, they couldn’t overcome the Owls’ lead and fell 8–11. While a split was not the result the Cardinals had in mind, they had to keep the loss out of mind. There was only one off day before their series with no. 23 Williams, with the Little Three Championship on the line.
“We went into the Williams games with one goal—come out as Little Three champs,” Orso wrote in a message to The Argus. “It’s been a while since we’ve held that title, so we came in confident, ready, and caught them off guard.”
After being swept by Williams last year, the Cardinals looked to show the Ephs what they were made of. Orso took the mound in the first game and was dominant as ever. This time, unlike the Colby game, she got the run support she needed, as Lennon tripled in a run and scored on a single by outfielder Rebecca Cassel-Siskind ’26 to give the Red and Black a 2–0 lead. Orso continued to deal, securing a three-hit shutout—her fifth of the season—to get the Cards one step closer to the Little Three.
In the second game, Lees matched Orso step-for-step, pitching a three-hit shutout of her own. However, she one-upped her teammate, providing her own run support with an RBI single in the first. The dominant performance secured a series sweep and the Cardinals’ third Little Three Championship title in program history. The series was the first time the Cards swept the Ephs in program history and the second and third time Wesleyan had ever shut them out.
“We came off the Westfield loss and we were upset, and obviously we didn’t play as well as we wanted to in the second game,” Palmer said. “But then to come and win when it mattered was just so awesome. And I know our coaches were really excited. So it was really cool.”
With only three NESCAC series remaining, the Cards were officially in the postseason push, and they had no time to rest on their laurels. The day after the Ephs series, Wesleyan took on Hamilton, who also swept them in 2024.
Game one was a nail-biter, as both pitchers retired the side inning after inning, sending the game into the eighth inning scoreless. In the top of the eighth, the Cards had a runner on third and no outs, but the runner, trying to score on a ground ball, was called out at the plate. In the bottom of the inning, the Continentals scored, handing the Red and Black a tough 0–1 loss.
Refusing to be swept, the Cards came out firing in the second game, putting up two in the second and three in the fourth to take a 5–0 lead. Lees—the picture of consistency—was dominant from the bump, leading the Cards to a 6–1 win and improving their record to 20–10 overall and 9–5 in-conference.
“The first loss was a pitcher’s duel,” Lees said. “I think that something that we’re always working towards is being more selective at the plate and executing our swings better. That’s something that the Hamilton pitcher really beat us on. But I think we bounced back from that, and in the second game, I think we came out with something to prove.”
On Thursday, April 24, the Cards continued their dominant streak with a sweep of Western Connecticut State University. In the first game, the Wolves drew first blood with a run in the first, but Wes responded with two of their own and hung on to win 3–1. In the second, Lees threw yet another gem with a shutout, and a balanced offensive attack led to a 6–0 win.
While the Little Three title is a benchmark for the Cards’ season, they have bigger goals in mind.
This Sunday, the Cards will meet Trinity on the road, looking to show that Wesleyan deserves to be at the top of the NESCAC.
“Resilience and determination have been our focus all season,” Orso wrote. “We’ve put in the work year-round, and we’re committed to leaving it all on the field. Since day one in the fall, we’ve been determined to make our mark on the league and have stayed locked in on that goal every day.”
Ethan Lee can be reached at ejlee@wesleyan.edu.
Erin Byerly can be reached at ebyerly@wesleyan.edu.
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