KISSIMMEE, FLA.—The Hamline University softball team faced defending NESCAC Tournament Champion and NCAA Division III Championship participant Amherst on Wednesday morning. The Pipers gave the Mammoths a run for their money, but fell victim to Randi Finkelstein's walk-off home run in a 3-2 loss.

Hamline falls to 4-3-1, while Amherst improves to 4-1.

Amherst 3, Hamline 2

Amherst took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, where Megan Taketa led off with a triple and scored on America Rangel's single.

Hamline turned a pair of Amherst errors into runs in the third and fourth innings. The third frame saw Maddie Johnson single, and reach third thanks to a bad pick off attempt from the catcher. It paid dividends, as Jenna Rubbelke knocked in Johnson with a sacrifice fly to even things at 1-1.

Rubbelke kept that momentum going in the fifth inning with a sharp single to right field that got by the fielder, which sent her to third base. A wild pitch scored Rubbelke, which gave Hamline a 2-1 lead.

Amherst registered a run in the sixth and seventh innings. Sadie Pool led off the sixth with a double, reached second on Jess Butler's sacrifice bunt, and scored off Dani Torres Werra's single to knot the game at 2-2. The Mammoths wasted no time in the seventh frame, where Finkelste's led off with a solo home run to center field that sealed them a 3-2 victory.

Dana Rosbacka and Montana Miller combined to give up 10 hits and three runs in the pitching circle for Hamline. Maddie Johnson went 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Rubbelke came through with a 1-for-3 outing that included a run scored, and an RBI for a Pipers team that notched five hits.

Hamline will return to action tomorrow, Thursday, March 16 against Farmingdale State at 9 a.m. (ET), and Sewanee at 11 a.m. (ET) at the Fortune Road Complex in Kissimmee, Florida.