Hamilton softball went 2–2 this weekend, ending the weekend 14–14 on the season and 7–7 in league play. Highlights from the weekend include Charlie Quinn ’25 cranking a pair of two-run homers, Natalie Beebe ’24 tallying seven strikeouts in Game 1 against Bates and a comeback in Game 2 against Bates.
Hamilton started the weekend against Bates College. Game 1 started as Hamilton took a 3–0 lead in the top of third powered by a lead-off triple by Alessandra Priante ’24 and a two-run homer to left center by Charlie Quinn ’25. It was Quinn’s first home run of the season. The Bobcats answered with one run from two doubles in the fourth inning, making it a 3–1 ballgame. The Continentals added some insurance with one run in the fifth on two hits, created by a combination of a Jordan Merklin ’26 triple to the left center gap and a bunt by Gabby Garrison ’27. Bates was able to counter with one run in the bottom half on a home run by Emma Yen. That would be their final run of the game.
Hamilton stayed hot at the plate with another run on three hits in the sixth. The Continentals added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh from three hits, including Quinn’s second two-run homer. The game would end 7–3 for the Continentals. Quinn drove in a team-best four runs on her two home runs. Garrison led Hamilton at the plate with a career game-high three hits and one run batted in. Teagan Graham ’25 got her second save of the season in three innings of relief, giving up only one run.
Game 2 for the Continentals began slowly. Scoreless through the first two innings, in the third, Hamilton struck first with one run on two hits and an error. Bates would hit back in the bottom half of the inning on four hits, jumping out to a 4–1 lead. The Continentals narrowed their deficit with one run in the fifth leading them to go into the bottom of the sixth trailing 4–2. The offense was electric in the sixth, scoring five runs off of five hits, the most critical being a clutch go-ahead, two-run hit through the right side from the bat of Hadley Rogers ’26.
The game would end 7–4 as the Continentals held onto the lead, playing tight defense to avoid letting the score tighten. Sofia Santana ’26 scored a team-best three runs from her one hit and stole a career game-high three bases. Aubrey Purvis ’27 gave a strong starting pitcher performance, giving up two runs on two hits, walking one and striking out five in 2.1 innings of work. This gave way for relief pitcher Emma Tansky ’25 to deliver her sixth win of the season, giving up two runs on three hits, walking four and striking out five. She leads Hamilton’s roster with 43 strikeouts.
In the second doubleheader of the weekend, the Continentals were swept by the Bowdoin College Polar Bears. Hamilton has dropped five of its last seven games as Bowdoin (17–7, 4–4) extended its win streak to six games. The Polar Bears posted a five-inning, 9–1 victory in the opener and a hard fought nine-inning game ended with Bowdoin ahead 6–5 in Game 2. Game 1 started as Hamilton took a 1–0 lead in the top of the second with a combination of hits, walks and wild pitches. But Bowdoin responded in devastating fashion with five runs on three hits in the bottom half of the inning. The Polar Bears added four more runs in the third. This would be all she wrote as neither team scored again, allowing Bowdoin to cruise to an easy 9–1 victory. Alison Zorn ’26 had one hit and scored Hamilton’s lone run.
Game 2 once again started well for the Continentals as they held a 1–0 lead in the second frame on two hits, but the Polar Bears’ offense caught fire and responded with four runs in the bottom half of the second on four hits and two walks. The Continentals took back one run in the third on three singles, making it a 4–2 ball game. Hamilton knotted the score at 4–4 with two runs on three hits in the fifth. Gaby Guerra ’27 notched a one-run double to left field for the tying run. Guerra would then be walked with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth to give Hamilton the lead for the first time in the game. Trailing 5–4 heading into the bottom half of the ninth, the Polar Bears produced two runs on two hits and two walks, including the game winning run. Tansky had a career game-high four hits, including her eighth double of the season. She added a team-best two stolen bases. The Polar Bears finished with nine hits and 10 walks.
The Continentals play next at home with another NESCAC doubleheader against Amherst College (5–16, 2–6) on Saturday, April 20 starting at noon.