MEDFORD, MA (May 12, 2023) – Senior catcher
Emma Jacobson put a game-winning rbi single just inside the right field line giving the top-seed Tufts University softball team a 3-2 walk-off victory over eight-seed Middlebury College in the eighth inning of Friday's NESCAC Championship Quarterfinal at Spicer Field.
Upset-minded Middlebury had scored twice in the third inning to lead 2-0. Tufts got one back in the fourth and then had a two-out rbi double from fifth-year
Nicole Russo in the bottom of the sixth tying the score at 2-2. Neither team scored in the seventh and the game went to extras.
Jumbo first-year pitcher
Emilie Doty, who did not allow a hit in four innings of relief, pitched a 1-2-3 top of the eighth. Tufts freshman
Kaitlyn Perucci led off the bottom half of the inning with a walk, then a sacrifice attempt by
Rachel Moore turned into a bunt single. Tufts would load the bases, but with two outs. That's when the game-winner was delivered by Jacobson, who had to beat out a throw from right field to first to complete the play.
The Panthers (18-17) scored twice in the third after senior Jordyn Johnson led off with a walk. She then scored on a double to left-center by first-year Kristyn Carroll. After an out was made moving Carroll to third, she scored on a ground ball to third by beating a high throw to the plate.
Middlebury starter Jewel Ashbrook pitched three scoreless innings before the Jumbos cut the margin to 2-1 in the fourth. Moore and
Haley Leimbach led off with singles and eventually pinch-runner
Emma Tonies scored on a sac fly by Russo.
Both teams switched pitchers for the fifth, with Tufts going to Doty and the Panthers to McKenna Lont. After a walk and an error put Middlebury runners on second and third with no outs that inning, Doty stranded the runners by retiring three straight batters.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Jumbos tied the game when Moore singled, was bunted to second by Leimbach, moved to third on a fly ball by
Michelle Adelman and then scored the game-tying run on Russo's double.
Moore went 3 for 4 with two runs for Tufts, while Leimbach and Russo had two hits each. Doty improved to 11-1 with the win. Starter
Sky Johnson had gone four innings allowing five hits and two runs with seven strikeouts and no walks.
Carroll had two hits for Middlebury, while Lont took the pitching loss (3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R). Ashbrook hurled four innings giving up four hits and a run.
In a NESCAC semifinal tomorrow at 2:30 pm, the Jumbos will play the winner of Saturday morning's quarterfinal between Colby and Bowdoin. Four games in all will be played at Spicer tomorrow.
--JUMBOS--
