The Hamilton College softball team scored 16 runs in its NESCAC West Division doubleheader at Middlebury Saturday but lost both games to the Panthers. The hosts won the opener 12-7 and rallied to take game two 13-9 to complete the sweep of the weekend series.

The Continentals (10-22, 3-9 NESCAC West) fought back from a 10-0 fifth-inning deficit in the first game, closing to within 10-7 (with the tying run on deck) in the top of the sixth before Middlebury shut the door and sealed the win with a pair of sixth-inning runs.

Hamilton scored four times in the fifth and three more in the sixth to get back into the game. Delaney Nicol '19 got the visitors on the board with a two-run double. Two more Continentals scored when Hannah Staab '17 singled to left and the ball was misplayed by a Panther outfielder.

An inning later, one-out singles by Liz Brautigam '19 and Olivia Gozdz '16 started another Hamilton rally. The Panthers picked up the second out but a walk to Nicol set up a three-run bases-clearing double by Phoebe Collins '18. Collins' hit brought Hamilton to within three runs, but the Continentals didn't get another runner on base.

The Panthers tallied a pair of unearned insurance runs in the sixth to close out the scoring. Hye-Jin Kim singled to drive in the first run, then came around to score on an infield single by Kat Maehr.

Middlebury took control with a nine-run explosion in the bottom of the third.

After Siobahn O'Sullivan broke the scoreless tie with a run-scoring single, Taylor Gardner doubled in a pair of runs, followed by a bases-loaded walk issued to Maehr and Ali Della Volpe's RBI single gave the Panthers a 5-0 lead. Kati Daczkowski followed with a two-run single and Emma Hamilton closed out the big inning with a sacrifice fly.

Maehr finished with three of Middlebury's 14 hits. Gardner doubled twice, scored two runs and drove in two more. She was one of three Panthers with a pair of hits, along with Hamilton and Carlyn Vachow.

Brautigam finished two-for-four for Hamilton. Nicol scored twice and drove in a pair of runs.

In the second game the Continentals took a pair of leads, carrying a 5-3 advantage into the bottom of the fourth before Middlebury took the lead for good with a four-run rally.

After the Panthers pushed their lead to 13-6, Hamilton scored three times in the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate before the hosts closed out the win. The Continentals loaded the bases on singles by Helen Lin '19 and Gozdz before Brautigam was hit by a pitch. Ashleah Yzaguirre '19 singled in a run, Nicol was hit by a pitch and Collins brought in a run with a ground out. Ursula Castiblanco '19 walked to reload the bases but the Panthers shut down the rally with a strikeout.

Nicol hit a three-run home run to highlight Hamilton's four-run fourth. Nicol's fourth homer of the season scored Brautigam and Yzaguirre (who singled in Staab to start the inning's scoring).

Yzaguirre also singled home a run to open the game's scoring, knocking in Gozdz in the top of the first.

After Middlebury's four-run fourth gave the Panthers the lead for good, Hamilton closed to within a run an inning later when Staab singled in Mackenzie Doherty '18.

Middlebury extended its lead to 13-6 with five runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth.

Jackie Stern doubled in two of Middlebury's three runs in the second as the Panthers took their first lead, going ahead 3-1. In the four-run fourth, Erin Giles started the scoring by bouncing a home run off the top of the outfield fence to pull Middlebury to within a run.

Vachow singled four times to lead the Panthers. Hamilton and Daczkowski both contributed three hits. Giles, Hamilton and Stern each drove in two runs. Daczkowski scored three times.

Staab, Castiblanco and Yzaguirre – who drove in three runs – finished with three hits apiece. Nicol matched a career best with four runs batted in.

Middlebury's Allison Quigley earned both wins, picking up the game two victory in relief after starting and winning the opener.

The Continentals are scheduled to host a non-league doubleheader Tuesday at 4 p.m. against the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds at Ferguson Field.