AMHERST, Mass. -- The defending Div. III softball national champions from Virginia Wesleyan demonstrated just how good they are Sunday, rolling to a 9-2 win over the Amherst College softball team in championship game number one of the Amherst Regional at the Amherst Softball Field. 

The loss ended a historic 2022 campaign for the Mammoths which saw the fifth-most wins of an Amherst team in a single season over the last 27 years, a Little 3 Championship, the NESCAC West Division's top seed,  the first NESCAC Tournament Championship in program history, the right to host an NCAA Tournament regional and winning two games in said regional.

The Mammoths finished with a record of 26-9. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The Mammoths loaded the bases against Marlins' starter Emily Seale in the top of the first inning when with two outs and no one on, Autumn Lee singled to right, Dani Torres Werra worked a walk and Randi Finkelstein reach on a fielder's choice. Bur Seale fanned the next Mammoth to end the threat. 

* The Marlins scored a single run in the first when Ariana Rolle beat out an infield single to short, stole second and scored when Caitlin Myers ripped a two-out grounder up the middle. Lee, ranging far to her left snared the ball in the web of her glove, turned and fired by Myers beat the throw to first and Rolle came all the way around from second to score. 

* Amherst put runners on first and third in the top of the second when America Rangel and Talia Bloxham both beat out infield singles. Bloxham attempted to steal second and was thrown out by Myers, but continued to third as Rangel was caught in a rundown between third and home. Rangel expertly got back to the third base bag safely as Bloxham raced back to second. However, the Marlin head coach protested the play and Rangel was called out on Bloxham's interference (running the bases after being called out.) 

* The Marlins then scored six times in the bottom of the second to take a 7-0 lead. 

* The Mammoths got on the board with two runs in the top of the sixth. Megan Taketa was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. Rachel Lovejoy ripped a single into left. Lee reached on a throwing error that send Lovejoy to third and Taketa home with the first run. Finkelstein lofted a sacrifice fly to center that scored Lovejoy with the second run. 

* Seale improved to 22-4 by limiting the Mammoths to five hits over seven frames. She walked one and struck out five. Bloxham took the loss for Amherst completing her season at 10-4. 

* Rangel was 2 for 3 for the Mammoths. Myers was 3 for 4 with 4 RBIs and a home run for VWU. Julia Sinnett was 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs. 

2022 Amherst Mass. Softball Regional All-Tournament Team:
Most Outstanding Player: Caitlin Myers, Virginia Wesleyan
All-Tournament: Emily Seale, Virginia Wesleyan
All-Tournament: Julia Sinnett, Virginia Wesleyan
All-Tournament: Ariana Rolle, Virginia Wesleyan
All-Tournament: Megan Taketa, Amherst
All-Tournament: Talia Bloxham, Amherst
All-Tournament: Dani Torres Werra, Amherst
All-Tournament Team: McKenna Smith, Husson
All-Tournament Team: Kenzie Dore, Husson
All-Tournament Team: Ally Kim, Rochester