The Middlebury softball team (3-5, 2-4) won its second-straight game of the weekend against Wesleyan bye a score of 12-5 at home on Sunday. The teams met on Saturday in Middletown, Conn., where the Cardinals (1-7, 1-7) took game one 7-2, before the Panthers rallied for an 11-9 victory in the second contest. Middlebury returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Hamilton for a doubleheader, while Wesleyan has the weekend off.
 
The Cardinals got things going in their first at-bat when Courtney Collins-Pisano reached on a base hit, Hannah Docktor singled through the left side, and Collins-Pisano touched on a single through the right side by Sophia Sciarappa. After Sciarappa stole second, Docktor crossed home plate for the 2-0 early lead.  
 
The Panthers responded in their half of the inning, knotting the game 2-2. Sophia Marlino singled and later advanced to second. Melanie Mandell walked, before Jen McGann was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A single up the middle by Abby Santis drove in both Mandell and Marlino.
 
Middlebury took a 3-2 edge in the bottom of the second. Tori Papaleo singled through the left side, advanced to second on a throwing error and later touched home on a base hit by Marina Lyon. In the bottom of the third, Mandell walked, McGann reached on a fielder's choice and Mandell crossed home plate on a single by Santis. With runners on second and third, a single by Papaleo drove in McGann, before Santis touched home on a fielding error, making it 6-2.
 
Wesleyan responded in the top of the fifth when back-to-back doubles drove in a pair of runs, before Sciarappa crossed home on a single from Ciara Castillo, cutting the deficit to one (6-5). With runners on second and third, the Cardinals looked to tie the game, but Middlebury worked itself out of the jam to hang on to the one-run edge.
 
In their half of the inning, the Panthers increased the lead to 8-5. With runners on second and third, Santis scampered across the plate on a wild pitch, before Jordyn Johnson scored on a double down the right field line by Lyon.
 
Middlebury added four insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by a two-run double from Papaleo and an RBI single from Bolinger to make it a 12-5 final.
 
Chloe McNamara (1-2) earned her first career win for Middlebury, allowing four runs on six hits with three strikeouts over four innings of work. Ashbrook earned the save in relief, giving up just one run on six hits, while striking out three during three innings. Santis was a perfect 4-4 with three RBI and three runs during the victory. Papaleo went 3-4 with a double and three RBI, and Lyon was 2-4 with four RBI. Mandell played in her 100th career game.
 
Brooklin Williams (0-5) suffered the loss in the circle for Wesleyan (0-5). Sciarappa went 2-2 with a double and two RBI, while Collins-Pisano was 2-3 and scored twice. Docktor went 2-4 with a double and two runs scored.