CLERMONT, Fla. – The Ursinus College softball team found itself on both ends of a pair of wild momentum swings on Wednesday, scoring four runs in the sixth inning to complete a 6-4, come-from-behind victory over Wesleyan (Conn.) before watching a late lead disappear in an 8-7 loss to Sage.

Ursinus (4-4) overturned a big deficit to concoct a scintillating rally against Wesleyan (1-2) in the opener. The Bears mustered only three hits in the first four frames, their only run coming when freshman Callie Crouse reached on an error, took second on a passed ball, and scored on a throwing error after stealing third.

Trailing 4-1, Ursinus hit the comeback trail in the fifth, pulling a run back on a sacrifice fly from senior Zoe Heinke, freshman Alexa DelMonte coming around to score. Then came the drama.

With some clutch at-bats – and plenty of help from the Cardinal defense – the Bears staged a wild comeback in the sixth. Crouse led off with a double, and sophomore Bridget Winay moved her to third on an infield single. Sophomore Brittany Gasser then reached on an error by the shortstop, which allowed both runners to score and made it a 4-all game.

DelMonte got on courtesy of a fielder's choice, advancing Gasser to third, before stealing second to put two in scoring position with no outs. Freshman Kayla Quinn walked to load the bases and fellow rookie Sammi Donato kept the line moving, driving in the go-ahead run with a single to left. Heinke's second sacrifice fly of the afternoon added an insurance run.

The Cardinals brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the seventh, but sophomore Kaitlyn Willis induced a game-ending fielder's choice to seal the Bears' thrilling triumph.

Crouse was 2-for-3 with two runs scored for Ursinus, and DelMonte matched her with a pair of runs. Willis (3-1) worked through traffic on the bases all day, allowing 11 hits and two walks but still managing to throw a complete game. She struck out four in improving to 3-1 on the season.

Game Two was almost a carbon copy – only this time the Bears were the victims of a late uprising.

Ursinus sent 10 to the plate in a five-run second. Winay started the outburst with a two-run double, and the Bears conjured some two-out magic with a two-run single from Heinke and an run-scoring knock by Crouse.

Sage (1-4) got one back on an unearned tally in the second before making its move. The Gators scored two runs in each of their last three at-bats, though RBI singles from Gasser and Quinn still had the Bears leading 7-4 heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Sage put together a two-run fifth with only one hit, using a couple bean balls to put runners on base against Winay, who relieved Heinke to start the inning. The Gators finally took the lead in the sixth, when a throwing error allowed the tying run to score and put the go-ahead run on second. The next batter, Morgan Dunn, singled to left to polish off the rally, and the Bears went down 1-2-3 in the seventh.

Heinke finished 2-for-4 with two more RBI, giving her a Centennial Conference-leading 14 through just eight games; her career high is 21. Freshman Sarah Snider Leonhauser had her first triple and scored the first two runs of her career, and Gasser registered her first two collegiate hits in a 2-for-4 effort; she also scored a run and drove in another.

Heinke worked the first four innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Winay (0-1) took the loss, surrendering four runs (two earned) on three hits with one strikeout.

The Bears have Thursday off before completing their spring trip with games against Millsaps and SUNY Potsdam on Friday afternoon.