The Middlebury softball team returned to its winning ways with a pair of impressive victories on Thursday at THE Spring Games. The squad started the day with a 7-0 shutout over St. Lawrence, followed by a 10-2 triumph against Old Westbury in five innings.
 
HIGHLIGHTS VS. ST. LAWRENCE

• Scoreless through the first three innings, Middlebury struck with four runs in the top of the fourth. Abby Santis doubled to left-center field, bringing home Jordyn Johnson who drew a leadoff walk. 
• Santis later touched home on a Saint error to make it a 2-0 contest, while a sacrifice fly from Tori Papaleo and a run-scoring single to left by Jewel Ashbrook pushed the Panther advantage to 4-0.
• Middlebury tacked on three more tallies in the top of the seventh. Santis ripped another RBI double to left center, Kristyn Carroll had a sacrifice fly to right and Megan Fox rolled a run-scoring single up the middle for the final 7-0 score.

HIGHLIGHTS VS. OLD WESTBURY

• Middlebury was the home team on the scoreboard in the battle of the Panthers.
• The visitors jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning on base hits from Alaina Reilly and Rosanna Cuttone.
• The home team answered with five runs of its own in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by a two-run triple down the right-field line by Carroll and RBI doubles from Papaleo and Jennifer Westphal for a 5-2 lead.
• Middlebury tacked on another score in the second when Johnson walked, stole second and third and scored on an infield single by McKenna Lont. 
• The home team added three runs in the fourth, including a two-run single to right by Lont, for a 9-2 advantage.
• Middlebury pushed its lead to eight (10-2) in the fifth, as Adriana Santiago-Lucena roped a pinch-hit double to left center, stole third and scored on a base hit through the right side by Cece Ziegler to invoke the NCAA's eight-run mercy rule.

NOTES

• The Panthers received a pair of quality pitching performances on Thursday. Ashbrook twirled a gem against St. Lawrence, allowing a single in the fourth, an infield base hit in the sixth and two hits in the seventh for her first complete game of the season and the 18th of her career. Lont earned the victory in the circle during game two, striking out a season-best eight batters.
• Middlebury and St. Lawrence have played 11 times with the Panthers owning an 8-3 edge and the Panthers have won the last five meetings. Thursday's contest was the first meeting in softball with Old Westbury.
• The team has collected 25 doubles through 10 games this season, including six during Thursday's two victories. 

Middlebury closes out THE Spring Games on Friday with contests against Grinnell and Oberlin.