Middlebury College

The #25 Middlebury softball team went 1-1 on the second day of the NCAA Tournament Regional bracket hosted by Tufts in Medford, Massachusetts. The Panthers dropped a 5-4 contest to Muhlenberg before earning a 5-2 triumph over Alfred.

HIGHLIGHTS VS. MUHLENBERG

• Ava Storlazzi of the Mules worked a walk to start the contest and advanced to third on consecutive sacrifice bunts. Pitcher Emily Dowd induced a groundout to quell the scoring chance.
• The Panthers got on the board in the bottom of the second. Livy Schultz reached via a base on balls and moved to second on a single through the left side by Olivia Scholes. With a 3-1 count, Sarah LaFond smacked a three-run homer over the left-field fence to nab a 3-0 lead.
• Muhlenberg made its move in the top of the fourth inning when Scooter Hulsen pushed an RBI single up the middle to trim the lead to 3-1. A trio of walks with the bases loaded allowed three more Mules to cross the plate and give them a 4-3 advantage.
• Middlebury tied the game at 4-4 a frame later. Kristyn Carroll led off with a single to center field and stole second base, while a throwing error and a wild pitch plated Carroll.
• In the top of the seventh, Muhlenberg regained the lead. Josie Hoffacker and Sofia Gallahue worked walks and Hailey Godin tallied an infield single to load the bases with one out. After an interference call became the second out, Hulsen plated Hoffacker with an RBI single through the left side to make it 5-4.
• Jen Westphal was plunked to open the final at-bat for the navy and white, but Clark tallied a swinging strikeout and consecutive flyouts to push the Mules to the winners' bracket.

HIGHLIGHTS VS. ALFRED

• With one out in the second, Schultz tucked a base hit down the third-base line. The designated player didn't move any further, as hurler Kendall Steward induced a flyout to center field and a swinging strikeout.
• The Saxons loaded the bases with two outs during the bottom half. Dowd stayed the course, tallying a looking strikeout to stop the scoring chance.
• Middlebury grabbed a 3-0 advantage in its next time through the lineup. Following consecutive base knocks from Reagan Adiletta and McKenna Lont, Carroll blasted a run-scoring double to right field to make it 1-0. A batter later, a Saxon miscue allowed Lont and Carroll to cross home plate.
• Alfred looked to trim the deficit in the bottom half. Bella Mistretta singled to third base and Steward was hit by a pitch. After both runners moved up 60 feet via a groundout, Lont struck out Ally Boulger to keep the three-run lead.
• In the fourth, the Panthers put runners on the corners with one gone, as Scholes and Katelyn Mikros tallied base knocks. Steward worked out of the jam with a fielder's choice and a strikeout.
• The Saxons found the scoreboard in the home half. Steward and Molly Whitmyer began the two-out rally with consecutive singles. A Panther fielding error pushed Steward across before a hit-by-pitch and bases-loaded walk trimmed the deficit to 3-2. 
• Middlebury put runners on first and second with one away an inning later. Steward kept the navy and white at bay with a strikeout and groundout.
• With two gone in the bottom half, Mistretta and Steward were plunked, putting the game-tying run in scoring position. Whitmeyer nearly moved the runners with a hard ground ball down the left-field line, but Scholes backhanded the skipper and touched the bag to keep the lead.
• The Panthers gained some insurance during their final plate appearances. Lont opened the frame with a walk before pinch runner Alison Jankowski advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Carroll and a base knock by Fleming. A Saxon throwing error proved costly, as Jankowski and Fleming came around to score for a 5-2 ballgame. 
• Boulger looped a lead-off single to center field, hoping to spark a comeback for Alfred. Lont slammed the door with a flyout to center, a strikeout and a groundout to cap the three-run triumph.

NOTES

• With her five strikeouts over the two-game slate, Dowd surpasses Alison Quigley '18 for the most in a single season. The rookie has amassed 106, besting the previous mark of 103 set by Quigley during the 2015 campaign.
• Lont twirled a strong outing against the Saxons, allowing five hits and no earned runs while striking out five over five frames. The victory is her 10th in the circle this season.
• Leading the Panther offense was Adiletta, who reached base three times spanning the two contests.
• LaFond lifted her third homer of the year over the wall in the first contest.
• The contest marks the first time Middlebury has battled both Muhlenberg and Alfred in softball.

The Panthers meet the loser of the contest between #16 Tufts and Muhlenberg on Saturday, with a time to be determined.

POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE