The Middlebury softball team swept both ends of a doubleheader, combining for 28 runs on 31 hits Wednesday at New England College. The Panthers scored a season-high 15 runs on 17 hits, including a program record four home runs, during a 15-2 five-inning victory in game one, while cruising in the nightcap for a 13-1 win in five innings. Winners of five-straight games, the Panthers will return to the diamond when they host a three-game NESCAC West series against Wesleyan. First pitch of the single game on Friday is set for 5:00 p.m., while Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m.

In game one, the Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI double to center field by Sarah Freyre, bringing in Ande Troutman, who led off the game with a double. Taylor Gardner reached on an error, allowing Freyre to score all the way from second base.

The Pilgrims cut the lead in half in the bottom of the frame when Gabriella Marcheschi homered.

The score remained that way until the top of the third when the Panthers exploded for seven runs on six hits. Freyre hit a one-out homer that stayed inside the left field foul pole, while Carlyn Vachow drove home a pair with a double down the left-field line. Ali Della Volpe and Troutman each had run-scoring singles in the inning, while Kati Daczkowski brought in two with a two-bag hit to right center.

New England College plated its second run of the first game when Joslyn Gallagher scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the third, making it a 9-2 game.

The Panthers tacked on five more in the fourth behind a two-run double from Jackie Stern, and back-to-back home runs from Troutman and Daczkowski. The homers were the first of each player's career in a Panther uniform. Middlebury added a single tally in the fifth on a solo homer by Gardner to left center, giving the Panthers the record for most homers in a single game with four.

Troutman led six players who produced multi-hit games with a 4-4 performance including a double, homer, three RBI and three runs scored. Della Volpe went 3-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Daczkowski had 2-4 game with three RBI and a run scored and Gardner was 2-3 with three runs scored and a pair of runs driven in.

Allison Quigley improved to 4-1 for the spring with the win, allowing just one run on two hits with a pair of strikeouts over three innings. Irene Margiotta pitched the final two frames, giving up just one hit. 

Debra Mazzeo (4-4) suffered the loss, allowing nine runs, seven earned, on nine hits over 2.1 innings of work. Katie Matthews pitched the final 2.2 innings, surrendering six runs on eight hits. Gallagher paced the Pilgrims at the plate, going 2-2 with a double.

In the nightcap, the Panthers blasted three more home runs and scored multiple times in each inning except the third. In the first with two outs, Freyre drove home Daczkowski on a single to left field, and scored Middlebury's second run as part of a double steal.

New England College tallied its lone run of the game in the bottom of the frame when Rebecca Allen walked, moved to third on a pair of passed balls and touched home for an unearned run on a single to left center by Gallagher.

In the second, the Panthers put together a four-run rally all after there were two outs. Stern scored on a passed ball after reaching on a single, while a two-run double by Garnder and a two-bag base hit from Freyre gave the Panthers a 6-1 advantage.

The Panthers tacked on five more in the fourth, highlighted by Troutman's and Daczkowski's second back-to-back homers of the day and a three-run blast off the bat of Vachow for her third career home run.

Gardner and Freyre capped the scoring with back-to-back run-scoring doubles in the top of the fifth for the final 13-1 score.

Freyre led the Panther bats going 3-3 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. Gardner went 2-5 with three runs scored, two doubles and three RBI, while Daczkowski was 2-3 with three runs scored. Vachow had a multi-hit game going 2-4 with a homer and three RBI, while Troutman collected two hits in three at-bats with a home run and three runs scored.

In the circle, Lane Dikeman and Neve Stearns combined to give up just one run and one hit. Dikeman went the first 2.1 innings, while Stearns (3-3) earned the win logging the final 2.2 frames with five strikeouts.

Marcheschi (4-4) was saddled with the loss going five innings and allowing 13 earned runs on 14 hits with three punchouts.