MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The Amherst College softball team capped off the 2021 season on a high note, sweeping Little III rival Wesleyan University in non-conference action, 16-3 and 4-0, Saturday afternoon at the Wesleyan Softball Field.

With the wins, the Mammoths close out the year with an 11-5 overall record and a 7-5 mark in NESCAC West action.

GAME ONE | Amherst 16, Wesleyan 3 | Box Score
Putting on a show down the stretch, Amherst rallied back from a 1-0 deficit in the final three innings to rack up total 16 runs, including eight runs in the fourth, and power past the home team, 16-3.

• Jumping out to 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the second, Wesleyan took its first and only lead of the day behind a two-out, RBI double by Alexis Campbell to plate Ciara Castillo.
• Responding with six runs in their next at bat, the Mammoths used eight hits to push the score to 6-1 in the top of the third. Back-to-back one-out doubles by Audrey Orlowski '23 and Megan Taketa '23 set up Amherst's first runs of the game as Rachel Lovejoy '23 drove a single through the right side to log two RBI.
• Following Lovejoy's lead, Autumn Lee '23 and Jess Butler '23 then each notched a single to load the bases before a Randi Finkelstein '24 hit to center and Alyson Plaman single to short pushed the Mammoths lead to 5-1. Junior Talia Bloxham had the last RBI of the inning, taking a hit by pitch to plate Finkelstein.
• After retiring the side in order in the bottom of the third, the Mammoths continued to hold momentum at the plate en route to extending their advantage to 14-1. Registering five hits and using two Wesleyan errors to record the eight-run inning, Finkelstein, Bloxham, Orlowski (3) and Lee (2) were the RBI-getters for Amherst.
• Tacking on two more runs in the fifth, a Plaman ground out and double by Maddie Procyk, who came into the contest to pinch hit, tallied the Mammoths' final two runs and set the score at 16-1.
• Run-ruled after five, the Cardinals scored twice in their final at bat, as a Courtney Collins-Pisano single scored Williams and Campbell before Amherst hauled in the final out and sealed the 16-3 win.

Orlowski (1-1) earned the victory in the circle for the Mammoths, striking out three and giving up four hits and three runs in 5.0 innings. Giving up eight hits and six runs in 2.1 innings, Revi Brown (1-6) took the loss for Wesleyan, while Brooklin Williams allowed 10 runs on nine hits in 2.2 innings in relief.

GAME TWO | Amherst 4, Wesleyan 0 | Box Score
Amherst scores in the third and fourth inning proved to be the difference maker in a game two pitchers' duel as the Mammoths claimed  a 4-0 shutout victory to close out 2021.

• Scoreless after one, the Mammoths broke through with what stood as the game-winning run in the top of the second as Plaman sent a single to deep center field to score Sadie Pool '24 who doubled to left to lead off the inning.
• After a 1-2-3 bottom half, Amherst continued to add to their edge in the third with walks by Lee, Procyk and Pool and a Butler single plating a run before a wild pitch and a Bloxham ground out made it 4-0.
• Leaning on their defense down the stretch, the Mammoths needed to see only four or fewer Cardinals at the plate in each of the final five innings to record the last 15 outs of the contest and clinch the shutout win.

Bloxham (5-4) claimed her fifth victory of the season in the circle for the Mammoths, allowing just four hits and no runs in a complete game while striking out five. Williams (0-8) took the loss for the Cardinals, allowing four runs and five hits and striking out three in 3.0 innings, while Brown tossed the final 4.0 innings for the home team.