Hamilton College jumped out to an early four-run lead and held off a furious charge by Amherst College as the Continentals edged the Mammoths 8-7 in a NESCAC West Division game played at Amherst Softball Field on Sunday afternoon.

Hamilton (4-4, 4-4 NESCAC West) took the season series from Amherst by winning two out of the three games over the weekend. The teams split a doubleheader in Clinton on Saturday. The Continentals have won two NESCAC West Division series this spring. Hamilton swept a doubleheader against Wesleyan University earlier this month.

The Continentals host Middlebury College for a NESCAC West Division doubleheader on Saturday, April 24 that is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Anna Rasmussen '21 and Claire O'Brien '21 will play their final home games that day.

Hamilton's Kaitlyn Fudge '23 picked up her second win in the circle and drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning. Fudge (2-1) allowed one run on five hits and a walk in three innings of relief.

Shelby McVey '22 went 4-for-4 and Kiana Arcayena '22 singled, doubled and scored three runs for the Continentals. Rasmussen singled twice and recorded her sixth multi-hit game this season. She is hitting .469 with a .750 slugging percentage and 13 runs batted in. Hamilton has five regulars hitting over .400 and the Continentals are hitting .362 as a team.

Amherst (6-2, 4-2) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but Hamilton responded with five runs on six hits and a hit batter in the bottom of the inning. Samantha Smith '23 was plunked with one out and scored the first run on Rasmussen's single to left field. Madison Hinojos '24, Mikayla Worzel '23 and Katlynn McGivney '23 added run-scoring singles and Fudge drove in another run with a sacrifice fly.

The Mammoths got a run back in the top of the second, only to watch the Continentals restore their four-run advantage in the bottom half. Arcayena drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a ground ball to second, and scored on McVey's single up the middle.

Amherst scored two runs in the third inning and tied it at 6-6 with two more in the fourth. The Mammoths came up with three hits in the fifth, but runners were caught stealing at home and at second base, and the score remained tied.

Hamilton took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth. McVey led off with a single through the left side and moved around to third base on two groundouts. Fudge laced a two-out single down the right field line that plated McVey.

McGivney made the defensive play of the game in the top of the sixth with two outs and runners at second and third. She dove to her right and snagged a sinking line drive off the bat of Sadie Pool and kept the slim lead intact.

The Continentals added an important insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Arcayena blasted a one-out double to right center and went to third on a single to left by Rasmussen. Arcayena scampered home on a wild pitch moments later and Hamilton led 8-6.

Arcayena's run turned out to be a big one when Randi Finkelstein led off the seventh with a home run. Finkelstein finished 3-for-3 with a walk, two homers and three runs scored. Fudge shut things down after Finkelstein's shot as she retired the next three batters on a pair of fly balls to left field and a groundout to second base.