The Hamilton College softball team opened a three-game NESCAC West Division play Saturday, losing to Amherst College 10-5. The Continentals rallied from a 10-0 deficit and had the tying run in the on-deck circle when the game ended.

The series was originally scheduled to be hosted by Amherst but was moved to Hamilton's Loop Road Complex because of weather and field conditions at Amherst.

Hamilton (7-11 overall, 0-1 NESCAC West) started its rally with a two-out rally in the top of the fifth. After singles by Hannah Staab '17 and Caitlin Berreitter '20 an infield error and a passed ball brought home a pair of runs and Daphne Assimakopoulos '17 singled in a third run.

The Continentals tacked on two more runs the next inning with Ashleah Yzaguirre '19 leading off with a pinch-hit walk before an RBI triple by Becca Butler '17 and run-scoring double by Staab. In the seventh, the Hamilton loaded the bases with one out on a walk to Kendall Searcy '20, an infield error and a Yzaguirre single but Amherst picked up the last two outs on infield grounders.

Staab and Butler – who entered the game in the bottom of the third – both had two of Hamilton's nine hits.

Amherst (10-6, 1-0 NESCAC West) opened the scoring by plating two second-inning runs without a base hit. Annie Murphy and Andrea Sanders walked before a run-scoring groundout and a wild pitch put Amherst up 2-0.

A six-run third for Amherst started with a leadoff home run by Ally Kido and ended when a single to left center by Kyra Naftel was misplayed, bringing in two runs. In between, a pair of wild pitches and a misplayed bunt resulted in three more Amherst runs. Sanders singled in a run in the fourth and Murphy scored Amherst's final run on an infield grounder.

Sanders and Naftel contributed two hits apiece.

Gina Pagan earned the complete-game win for Amherst, allowing just two earned runs while striking out four Continentals.

The teams conclude the weekend series with a noon doubleheader Sunday at the Loop Road Complex.