Softball Bests Hamilton for Second NESCAC Series Win

The softball team repeated their strong opening performance in NESCAC play from last weekend, defeating Hamilton two games to one in a three-game away series on Friday, April 8, and Saturday, April 9. Now past the midpoint of the season, the Mammoths boast a 12-5 overall record and a 4-2 record in the NESCAC West division.

Although they had to travel over three hours to Clinton, New York, to battle the Continentals on their home turf, the Mammoths showed no signs of fatigue in any of their games, striking first in all three contests. They jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a Dani Torres Werra ’25 two-out double that brought Rachel Lovejoy ’23 home. The lead doubled in the second inning when Megan Taketa ’23 scored on an Autumn Lee ’23 single up the middle. The Continentals responded emphatically, however, scoring one run in the bottom of the fourth inning and taking a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth off a two-run double and a subsequent RBI single. The Mammoths managed to bring the tying run to the plate in the seventh after America Rangel ’25 led off with a single, but they couldn’t scratch any runs across and the game ended with a 4-2 final.

Werra picked up her first loss of the season from the circle, bringing her record to 4-1. She pitched 5.2 innings and struck out five along the way, allowing four runs, though only three were earned. The Mammoths were limited to just three hits in the contest, while the Continentals managed eight.

In game two on Saturday, it was the Mammoths’ turn to mount a comeback. They again got out to an early lead — scoring two runs in the first — but the Continentals evened the score in their half of the inning and then added three runs off a bases-clearing double in the second to make the score 5-2. Their lead was not safe for long, however. The Mammoths scored two runs in the third inning, cutting the lead to just one, as Lovejoy scampered home on a wild pitch and then Werra singled through the left side to bring home Lee. In the fourth, two sacrifice flies from Lee and Jess Butler ’23 gave the Mammoths a 6-5 lead. Taketa then tacked on another insurance run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly of her own that scored Devynn Wilderman ’25 to extend the lead to 7-5. The Mammoths shut the door on the Continentals in the final frames, solidifying their come-from-behind victory.

Talia Bloxham ’22 started for the Mammoths and was superb from the circle. She went the distance, pitching a complete seven innings and allowing five runs, though she did not allow a single earned run. She gave up nine hits and tallied two strikeouts, working herself out of jams all game to pick up her fourth win of the season and bring her record to 4-3.

In the rubber match of the series, the Mammoths flexed their muscles in a 13-3 domination that only needed five innings to complete. They battled around the lineup in both the second and third inning, scoring five runs in the second and six in the third for an early 11-0 lead. The Continentals managed to get three runs back in the fourth inning, but Werra put the exclamation point on the contest with a two-run homer in the fifth inning to make the score 13-3. Hamilton went down in order in the bottom half of the inning, mercifully ending the contest due to the five-inning mercy rule. Audrey Orlowski ’23 got the start and picked up her fourth win on the year.

Looking ahead, the Mammoths will make the short trip to Springfield, Massachusetts, to take on Springfield College in a midweek doubleheader on Wednesday, April 13. They will then look to continue their success in NESCAC play with a home doubleheader on Saturday, April 16, against a challenging opponent in Trinity, who is currently undefeated in conference play.