MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College softball team held Rensselaer to no runs on just three hits as the Panthers (16-10) on Tuesday swept a pair of games from the Engineers (21-9) by scores of 3-0 and 1-0.
Middlebury was set to host St. Joseph’s (Vt.) in a doubleheader at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The RPI wins came after the Panthers lost three to Williams this past Friday and Saturday and defeated Hamilton on Sunday.
On Tuesday, Allison Quigley (7-2) allowed just four base runners in game one en route to a one-hit shutout. She struck out three batters in the contest, earning her 29th career complete game.
Middlebury got on the board in the top of the first inning with two runs on four hits. Olivia Bravo, Quigley and Melanie Mandell each singled to load the bases with one out. Liza Tarr followed, ripping a double down the left-field line to plate two runners.
The Panthers added to their lead in the fourth, with a solo run for a 3-0 lead. Emily Morris singled to left with one out, before Kaylee Gumm walked. One out later, Bravo singled to center to drive in Morris.
Bravo went 2-3 in the game with a run scored and an RBI, while Mandell was 2-3 with a double. Tarr went 1-3 with a pair of RBI.
Sarah Harms (14-5) suffered the loss for Rensselaer, allowing three runs and seven hits over six innings of work. Rebecca Kienz had the Engineers’ lone hit.
In game two, neither team threatened until the final inning. With two outs in the top of the seventh, Rensselaer’s best chance to get on the board came when Allie Hunt tripled to left field. The next batter hit a slow roller to second base that Taylor Gardner made a nice play on to get the runner at first.
In the bottom half of the inning, Mandell led off with a double down the left-field line. Tarr followed by grounding out to third as Mandell advanced a base. Gardner drove in the game-winning run for Middlebury when she singled down the right-field line to drive in Mandell for the 1-0 win.
Morris (8-7) picked up the win for the Panthers, allowing no runs and just two hits over seven innings, while going 2-2 at the plate. Jaime Cleasby (7-4) suffered the loss, giving up one run on five hits over 6.1 innings of work.
Mandell has now hit safely in 12 of the team’s last 13 games, hitting .523 with eight doubles.