The Cardinal softball team traveled to Hartford on Wednesday for a doubleheader, shutting out the Bantams of Trinity 9-0 in the first game but dropping the second by a close margin of 9-8. The team’s record now stands at 18-14-1; the Cardinals still stand 6-3 in NESCAC West play heading into this weekend’s showdown at Middlebury.
In the first game, Dana Levy ’12 took charge and set the tempo. Levy stepped up and blasted a three-run homer to left field to give Wesleyan an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Wes scored two more runs in the 2nd inning, extending their lead to 5-0. At bat in the 3rd, Levy smacked another home run to give the visitors a 6-0 cushion. The offenses for both teams in the next three innings remained stagnant, but the Cardinals were not satisfied and finished the game off the way they began. Chrissy Bello ’12 singled, and Talia Bernstein ’11 followed with a double. When Levy stepped up to the plate for her fourth at-bat of the contest, she launched another three-run homer to give Wes a final 9-0 victory. With her performance, Levy eclipsed the record for most home runs in a game (two), a record that has been set by four players, most recently by Bernstein against Amherst in 2009. Levy also tied the school record for most RBI in a contest with seven, which was accomplished by Kristine Chu ’91 in 1988. Meaghan Dendy ’10 picked up the win with four shutout innings, and Levy pitched the final three innings to preserve the shutout and pick up her first save.
Determined to avoid another shut out, Trinity jumped to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap. Wes answered with a run of its own in the top of the 2nd. Trinity heated things up, converting four hits into four runs in the bottom of the 3rd for a 5-1 lead. Following a one-out walk to Levy in the sixth, Taylor Zavadsky ’10 was hit by a pitch, and Wes tied up the score after Sam Epstein ’12 stepped up and smacked a three-run homer with two runners on base, driving in Levy and pinch-runner Ashley McLaren ’13, who had replaced Zavadsky on the base paths.
Alexis Kral ’12 followed with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Leah Temes ’13, who stole second. She advanced to third on the next out and then crossed the plate on a single from Dendy. Wes was able to hold Trinity scoreless in the bottom of the 6th and keep the score tied at 5-5. The Cardinals scored three runs in the top of the 7th to take an 8-5 lead thanks to a double from Zavadsky, a suicide squeeze by Epstein, and a sacrifice fly by Kral. Unfortunately for Wesleyan, this lead was not large enough as the Bantams edged past them with four runs in the bottom of the 7th, stealing a 9-8 victory from the Cards.
The team travels to Middlebury this weekend for a three-game series that will make or break its playoff fortunes. The Cardinals could finish anywhere from first to fourth in the division; a first- or second-place finish would put Wesleyan into the NESCAC tournament for the fourth straight year. Wesleyan has swept Middlebury each of the past two seasons, including a tripleheader sweep on the road in 2008. Wesleyan will look to make it nine in a row against the Panthers as the Cardinals continue their quest for a third straight NESCAC West championship.
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