The Middlebury softball team earned a pair of NESCAC victories over Bowdoin on Sunday afternoon to run its winning streak to five. The Panthers claimed the first game by a score of 5-2 and completed the sweep with a 7-0 triumph in the nightcap. 
 
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• The Polar Bears struck with two runs in the top of the first inning. Anika Ewert legged out an infield single and moved to second on a Middlebury miscue. She stole third and scampered home on a single up the middle by JK Bradley. A few batters later, Bradley touched home on a double to left center by Chloe Garcia for the 2-0 lead.
• Middlebury answered with a pair of tallies in the third. Nina Schroeder singled to left center and scored on an RBI groundout from Cate Viola. One batter later, McKenna Lont doubled to plate Kristyn Carroll who had singled down the right-field line to level the game at 2-2.
• The Panthers took the lead with a trio of tallies two innings later. Highlighting the rally was a two-run single up the middle from Viola. Middlebury loaded the bases, and Megan Fox drew a walk to push across Carroll for a 5-2 advantage.
• Samantha Hausman recorded the final three outs in the seventh on three pitches to secure the opener. 

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• Middlebury got on the scoreboard in the first frame of the nightcap. Carroll started things with a leadoff single to left center, stole second and scored on a double to left by Fox. The Panther advanced to third on a passed ball and touched home on a Polar Bear throwing error for a 2-0 lead.
• The hosts tacked on two more in the second with the big blow coming on a two-run double to left by Viola to bring in Cece Ziegler and Skylar Wong.
• Middlebury pushed its lead to 6-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth. Carroll hustled to earn an infield single and stole second before scoring on a double to left by Viola, who later ran home on a base hit down the right-field line from Lont.
• Olivia Scholes pushed the advantage to 7-0 when she singled to right and scored on a triple to left from Wong.
• Bowdoin mounted a comeback bid in the seventh when Liv Barrett singled to left center and Shea Sullivan doubled to right to put runners on second and third with one out. Lont induced a foul out and snared a liner that was headed back up the middle to finish off the shutout.

NOTES

• Lont improved to 6-1 in the circle with her victory in game two, logging her first career shutout. 
• Viola went a combined 4-for-8 with six RBI and a pair of doubles during the victories, while Carroll went 4-for-7 and scored four runs.
• Wong's triple in game two was the first three-bagger of her career.
• The programs played for the 16th and 17th times with Bowdoin holding a narrow 9-8 advantage.

Middlebury returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Bates for a NESCAC twinbill with the first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m.