MIDDLETOWN, CT (April 20, 2023) - The 15th-ranked Tufts University softball team tripled three times in game one, then homered twice in game two to sweep a NESCAC double-header at Wesleyan University on Saturday. Game scores were 7-0 and 7-1.
That provided plenty of power in support of starting pitchers
Sky Johnson and
Sophia DiCocco, who were both excellent again. The Jumbos lowered their team earned run average to a 0.91 mark. They were ranked second nationally through Thursday's games with a 0.94 era. The Jumbos did not walk a batter on the day.
Today's victories put Tufts (26-5) at 12-2 atop the NESCAC standings, while the Cardinals dropped to 11-15 overall and 2-8 in the league.
Game 1 - Tufts 7, Wesleyan 0
Rachel Moore had two triples and
Michelle Adelman had the other, and the Jumbos got another strong pitching performance from Johnson. She went six innings allowing five hits and no runs with seven strikeouts.
Moore's first three-bagger came in the top of the third leading to Tufts' first run as she scored on a single past the shortstop by
Lauryn Horita.
The Jumbos broke the game open with five runs in the top of the fourth. Adelman (3 for 3, 2 runs) and
Keriann Slayton opened with singles, and both scored on Wesleyan errors. Moore hit her second triple of the game driving in a run, then she scored on a double by
Josie Steinberg. Another base hit by Horita made it 6-0 Jumbos.
Adelman smacked Tufts' third triple of the game and scored on a sac fly by Slayton for the final Tufts run in the fifth inning.
Moore finished 2 for 4 with two runs and an rbi, Steinberg was 2 for 4 with two rbis and a run and Horita had three hits for Tufts. Johnson, who improved to 11-1 with the win, stranded Cardinals on second and third in the fourth to help preserve her sixth shutout of the season.
Claire Guitmann handled the seventh for Tufts with a 1-2-3 inning.
Jordynn Killion had two hits for Wesleyan. Bella Socaira-Cotto took the pitching loss, allowing nine hits and six runs (two earned) in 3.2 innings.
Game 2 - Tufts 7, Wesleyan 1
Horita hit a opposite-field home run - her sixth of the season - with two outs in the top of the first to get Tufts going. The Jumbos added a run in the second on base hits by Moore,
Haley Leimbach and Belay Jimenez, who had the rbi.
Kaitlyn Perucci then hit a bomb to left in the third and it was 3-0 Jumbos.
Wesleyan nearly scored their first run of the day in the top bottom of the third. Kelly Baker, Rebecca Cassel-Siskind and Waverly Smart all singled to load the bases. However, Wesleyan was then called for base-runner interference on a ground ball to second that prevented a run from scoring. Adelman tracked down a fly ball in left-center for the third out to keep the Cardinals scoreless.
Tufts added two runs without a hit in the fourth to go ahead 5-0. They earned three walks and Wesleyan made an error. The runs scored on a walk to Perucci and a sacrifice fly by Adelman.
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The Jumbos finished their day on offense with two runs in the top of the seventh. Pinch-hitter
Emma Wingate walked and
Keila McCabe singled to set the table. They scored on a single to right by Leimbach and a single back at the pitcher by Jimenez, respectively.
Wesleyan would finally get its lone run of the day in the bottom of the seventh. Hannah Docktor doubled with one out, Nicole Celi singled her to third and a base hit by Revi Brown scored the run.
DiCocco allowed seven hits and one run in her 6.1 innings.
Lacy Chilek came on to get the final two outs.
Perucci (2 for 3, two rbis, run), Adelman (2 for 3, rbi), McCabe (2 for 4, two runs), Horita (2 for 3, rbi) and Jimenez (3 for 3, two rbis) all wielded big bats for the Jumbos in game two.
Kelly Baker took the pitching loss for Wesleyan going three innings allowing eight hits and five runs (four earned).
Next
The Jumbos travel to Waltham, Mass., for a pair of non-league games at Brandeis University on Wednesday.
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