Junior Kelsey Neal made sure that the Washington University softball team got off to a perfect start to its 2013 season.

Neal pitched a complete game and hit a two-run home run to help herself out in the season-opening 3-2 win over Rhodes College Saturday in Memphis, Tenn., at the Lynx Classic. Then she turned around half an hour later and homered again to lead the Bears to a 15-1 five-inning, mercy-rule victory over Transylvania University on Saturday.

“We have worked really hard this winter. Hitting is contagious, and everyone was swinging the bat really well, so that helped,” Neal said. “I love hitting change-ups, and the first home run was off of a change-up.”

Freshmen Annie Pitkin and Brooke Hofer each took the mound against Transylvania combining for a one-hitter. Pitkin got the start and struck out three, collecting the win, while Hofer struck out two.

“On the mound, we were just hitting spots, and coach was calling a great game. We were mixing in plenty of pitches, and it was really working,” Neal said.

But it was the offense that stole the show, as Neal’s three-for-three, three RBIs outing contributed to the team’s total of 13 hits. Junior Maggie Mullen went two-for-two with a pair of doubles, sophomore Sydney Caldwell drove in three runs and scored twice and senior Ashley Janssen went two-for-four with two runs scored and two RBIs.

“We have so much drive. Our coach tells us to play ‘con ganas,’ roughly translated to mean ‘with heart.’ I can feel this team’s heartbeat and know that nothing can stop us this season,” Mullen said. “But there is always room for improvement. We just have to keep playing ‘con ganas.’”

Wash. U. faced both Rhodes and Transylvania again Sunday and got similar results, defeating the pair 13-7 and 7-2, respectively.

“[Starting 4-0] is great, awesome. You never know how the first few games are going to turn out. We are pleased with the way the first four games have gone, and we expect to get better,” head coach Leticia Pineda-Boutte said.

Hofer continued the strong start to her freshman season by pitching six and two-thirds innings and giving up just three earned runs against Rhodes. She helped herself out by driving in four runs on two hits. Junior Stacy Berg drove in five runs with two doubles as well.

The win over Transylvania was Pineda-Boutte’s 225th career win. Janssen continued her torrid start to the season with a four-for-five day at the plate, scoring three runs. Neal hit her third home run of the weekend in the top of the sixth inning to seal the victory for the Red and Green.

“The hitters were making great adjustments to the pitchers we were facing. They were having productive at-bats and made good adjustments from pitch-to-pitch as well,” Pineda-Boutte said.

Next weekend, the Bears will try to continue their unbeaten streak to start the season when they take on Hendrix College and Austin College in Conway, Ark. The softball team will play each school twice on March 2-3.