MEDFORD, MA (April 22, 2023) – Sophomore
Sky Johnson threw a five-inning no-hitter in game two which gave #9 Tufts University a NESCAC softball double-header sweep over Wesleyan University on Saturday at Spicer Field. Both games went five innings with the Jumbos winning 10-1 and 11-0.
After retiring the first seven hitters, Johnson walked Wesleyan's Brooklin Williams in the third for the Cardinals' only baserunner. In the fourth inning, Johnson scrambled out of the circle to field a nub by Cardinal Isabella Secaira-Cotta and fired a one-hopper to first where
Haley Leimbach picked it for the third out. Johnson then struck out the final two batters in the fifth to finish the game with eight K's.
Johnson's first collegiate no-hitter, this was the second no-hitter of the week for Tufts. First-year
Emilie Doty threw a perfect game at Babson College on Wednesday.
The Jumbo offense supported Johnson with five runs in the second inning and six in the third. Senior CF
Michelle Adelman sliced a two-run inside the park home run to right and senior SS
Josie Steinberg hit a three-run triple in the second. A two-run double by sophomore RF
Lindsay Neumann got Tufts' third started and sophomore pinch-hitter
Meggie Murphy later added a pinch-hit, two-run double to the fun.
Bela Jimenez,
Lauryn Horita, Steinberg, Adelman and Neumann all had two hits for Tufts, who finished game two with 14. Jimenez, Adelman and
Keriann Slayton – who caught the no-hitter – scored twice.
In game one, Wesleyan had taken a 1-0 lead and held it for two innings. Alexis Campbell singled in the first, went to second on a ground out, then took third and scored on a single by Secaira-Cotta and a Tufts error.
Otherwise, Jumbo starter
Sophia DiCocco shut down the Cardinals to earn her 11th victory. She allowed four hits and the unearned run in five innings. In the top of the fifth, she stranded Wes runners on second and third with a strikeout to end the game.
After a slow start, Tufts scored six times in the third. Jimenez with a two-run double and Adelman with a two-run single led the six-hit frame for the Jumbos. Tufts then scored four times in the bottom of the fourth with Leimbach's two-run base hit as the centerpiece.
Jimenez (2 for 3, 2 runs, 2 rbis),
Kaitlyn Perucci (3 for 3, 2 runs, 2 rbis),
Rachel Moore (2 for 3, 2 runs), Leimbach (1 for 2, 3 rbis), Adelman (1 for 2, 2 rbis) and Steinberg (2 runs) all had crooked-number contributions for Tufts in game one.
Taking the pitching losses today for Wesleyan (11-17, 1-9 NESCAC) were Kelly Baker in game one (3 IP, 8 H, 6 R) and Secaira-Cotta in the nightcap (2 IP, 9 H, 8 R (7 ER)).
Tufts, now 29-2 overall and 12-0 in NESCAC, will travel to Trinity College tomorrow for a pair of NESCAC games starting at 2:30 pm.
--JUMBOS--
