CLERMONT, FL (March 17, 2024) – Senior shortstop
Josie Steinberg had seven runs batted in on the day as the Tufts University softball team (4-0) won a pair of games in Florida on Sunday. The Jumbos defeated Manchester University 7-2 and William Paterson University 7-1.
Steinberg hit a pair of two-run doubles to lead the Jumbos against Manchester. Sophomore
Claire Guitmann pitched a complete game and sophomore
Lauryn Horita hit Tufts' first home run of the season.
Against William Paterson, the top three hitters in Tufts' line-up –
Michelle Adelman,
Kaitlyn Perucci and Steinberg – combined to go 5 for 10 with six runs scored and four rbis to lead Tufts. Senior pitcher
Sophia DiCocco earned her second victory in as many days.
Tufts 7, Manchester 2
Steinberg doubled to deep left-center in the first inning, then doubled again down the left field line in the second, with both scoring two runs to put Tufts up 4-0.
Guitman was perfect through three innings, and Tufts added two runs in the bottom of the third. With the bases loaded, Adelman was hit by a pitch and Perucci walked to score the runs.
Keriann Slayton and
Bela Jimenez had base hits to help load the bases in the frame.
Lexi Goodman had the Spartans' first hit off Guitmann in the fourth inning. She went to second on a wild pitch, took third on ground ball and scored on a single to center by Crystal Cooke making it 6-1.
Horita's home run to right field in the fourth pushed Tufts' lead to 7-1.
Cooke doubled to left field setting up a final run for the Spartans in the seventh. Hannah Bailey pinch ran and took third when Jimenez made a tough catch on a pop-up to to short rigtht. Bailey scored on an Izzy Dittmar single.
Guitman allowed five hits and the two earned runs while striking out seven with no walks in the game. Steinberg was 2 for 4 with the two rbis, Jimenez had two hits and Horita and Perucci both scored twice.
Junior Kaitlyn Carr started and took the loss for Manchester, lasting just one inning and allowing two runs (one unearned). Goodman and Cooke had two hits each for the Spartans.
Tufts 7, William Paterson 1
The Jumbos would score all the runs they would need in the top of the first. They plated three unearned runs with the help of two WP errors. Steinberg had an rbi single, with an error on the play scoring a second run.
Haley Leimbach added an rbi single.
DiCocco (5.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R) stranded runners on second and third in the bottom of the first. The only run she would allow came in the second when Paterson's Grace Gaskill singled off the bag at first and and went to third on a double by Hailey Backo. Gaskill scored when Lauren Hutchison nubbed one out in front of the plate and DiCocco had no play other than trhing to get an out at home. It was close, with
Keriann Slayton making a sweeping tag, but Gaskill beat the tag making it 3-1.
Rachel Moore doubled home Perucci, who had walked, in the third for a 4-1 Jumbo lead. Then in a three-run fourth inning, Adelman had an rbi single and Steinberg capped her day with a two-run double for a 7-1 Jumbo advantage.
Neither team scored in the final three frames.
Sky Johnson got the final five outs for Tufts, including four by strikeout. Steinberg finished game 2 for 4 with three rbis and a run, Perucci was 2 for 2 with two walks and three runs and Adelman scored twice.
Hutchison and Courtney Schwark had two hits each for the Pioneers. Gianna Mulato took the pitching loss, allowing five hits and six runs (three earned) in three innings.
Up Next
The Jumbos have games against Millikin University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire scheduled for Monday.
--JUMBOS--
