Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
In a double-header, Middlebury posted similar 4-3 wins over visiting Wesleyan on Saturday. The hosts needed extra innings, 10 and eight, respectively, helping the Panthers take two games and sweep a key three-game NESCAC West series against the Cardinals. The Panthers improve to 13-7 overall and 5-1 in NESCAC West play. Middlebury makes a quick turn-around, hosting a twin-bill against Keene State on Sunday, while Wesleyan travels to Eastern Conn. on Wednesday for a pair.
In the opener, Wesleyan (9-13, 2-6) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, using a two-out rally. With runners on first and second, Jamie Horn and Molly Grunat slapped back-to-back RBI singles up the middle. The Panthers had a great opportunity to crack the 2-0 deficit in the third with the bases-loaded and one out, but Cardinal pitcher Su Pardo got out of the jam with a strikeout and an infield pop-out to end the threat.
The Panthers scratched across a run in the fifth. With two outs, Hye-Jin Kim laced an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Emily Kraytenberg from first base.
Trailing 2-1 in the seventh inning, the Panthers tied the game on another hit by Kim. After a walk to Jackie Stern and a single by Kraytenberg, Kim smacked a 2-2 pitch to right field that plated Stern, forcing extra innings.
Both starting pitchers, Pardo and Middlebury's Neve Stearns stayed in the circle through the extra innings remaining effective through the eighth and ninth frames. In the 10th inning, following conference-mandated tie-breaker rules, a base-runner is placed at second to start each half inning.
Wesleyan opened the 10th with a SAC bunt, moving its runner to third base. Later with two outs, Angelina Massoia punched a soft hit to short, beating out an infield single, for an RBI and a 3-2 lead.
Down one, with a runner placed at second, Carlyn Vachow reached on a throwing error that allowed the Middlebury runner to score as Vachow ended up on second base. With the game tied at 3-3, a SAC bunt by Sarah Freyre pushed Vachow to third. Kelsey Martel stepped to the plate and hit a SAC fly to right, scoring Vachow on a close play at the plate for the 4-3 win.
Wesleyan finished with 11 hits, including three singles by Horn and two from Massoia and Amy Lindland. Pardo (6-5) took the loss, going 9.2 innings, allowing two earned runs, while striking out 10 Panthers.
Stearns (3-2) tossed 10 innings, allowing two earned runs with nine Ks and no walks. Kim finished the opener going 2-4 with a double and two RBI, while Sable and Freyre each added a double.
Game two saw the Panthers explode with three runs in the bottom of the first. After a one-out walk to Stern, Kraytenberg singled up the middle, sending Stern to third. During the play, Kraytenberg deftly advanced to second before the pitcher returned to the circle with the ball. After a walk to Kim loaded the bases, Vachow smashed a bases-clearing double to left for a 3-0 lead.
Panther hurler Elizabeth Morris started the game, allowing one base-runner in the first three innings of work. In the fourth, Morris got in a jam with runners on second and third with one out. An RBI ground-out by Grunat plated one run before Morris enticed pinch-hitter Bailey Softness into a 1-3 put-out.
Morris was chased in the fifth after allowing consecutive singles to open the frame. Kat Maehr replaced Morris, walking the first batter to load the bases with no outs. A put-out at home staved off the Cardinals first attempt to score, but a fielder's choice to third allowed one run to cross the plate. Maehr got the next batter to ground out to end the inning with a 3-2 lead.
In the seventh, Wesleyan's Annalie Walsh-Costello singled to right and was SAC bunted to second base. Following a Maehr wild pitch, Walsh-Costello wound up on third base with one out. Alex Sarkowsky knocked her in with an RBI single to left, tying the game at 3-3.
Alexa Lesenskyj entered in the top of the eighth, relieving Maehr. After getting into a jam with runners on second and third with two away, Lesenskyj struck out the next Cardinal to end the threat.
Vachow opened the eighth inning with a smash past Jill Gately at third. The hard-hit ball was misplayed in the outfield and rolled to the fence. Vachow rounded third and was waived home as the Panther catcher stretched a single into the game-winning run, beating the throw to end the game.
Lesjenskyj (2-2) earned the win, pitching a scoreless eighth. Maehr went three innings allowing one earned while striking out two, as Morris pitched four frames, striking out four while giving up two earned runs. Vachow went 3-4 with a double, three RBI and a run scored, while Kraytenberg added a double and a single, scoring a run.
Abigail Rutt had two hits for Wesleyan including a double and scored a run, while Sarkowsky and Walsh-Costello each chipped in a pair of singles. Laura Getchell (1-4) went 7.0 innings, allowing three earned runs, while striking out five Panthers.
