SALISBURY, MD (March 15, 2025) – The Tufts University softball team returned to action after a two-week hiatus and split a pair of games at the Margie Knight Classic hosted by Salisbury University.
The Jumbos (2-6) defeated New England rival WPI 6-3 in the first game behind a solid outing from pitcher
Sophia DiCocco. Tufts then scored in the first inning and out-hit Muhlenberg College overall, but lost 3-1 to the Mules.
Tufts 6, WPI 3
DiCocco pitched a complete game allowing seven hits and two earned runs for the victory in the circle. She retired nine of the last 10 batters she faced including the final seven.
After the Engineers (3-2) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an rbi double by Emma Nagy, Tufts scored twice in their first at-bat to lead 2-1. After
Bela Jimenez walked and
Keriann Slayton reached by error, both scored on a single down the right-field line by
Haley Leimbach.
WPI regained the lead at 3-2 in the top of the third on a lead-off single by Lucy Latour followed by a two-run home run off the bat of Sandy Fairbairn.
The Jumbos would rally for three runs in the fourth to grab a lead they would not relinquish. A walk to Leimbach and singles by
Cat Kawabe and
Kaitlyn Perucci started it. The rbis came from
Lindsay Neumann on a sac fly, on a Jimenez single and with a double by Slayton.
Tufts added a run in the sixth when
Heaven Oliva led off with a double. Pinch-runner
Emma Tonies and
Sarah Cullen later executed a double steal for the sixth Jumbo run.
Jimenez went 2 for 3 with a walk, a run and an rbi at the top of the Tufts line-up. Leimbach was 1 for 2 with a walk, the two rbis and a run.
Riley O'Brien had two hits for WPI, while starter Sofia Knopf took the pitching loss (3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER).
Muhlenberg 3, Tufts 1
Playing as the visitor at the neutral site, Tufts scored in the top of the first on consecutive one-out singles by Perucci, Slayton and Oliva. The Jumbos would have four hits in the inning overall, but left the bases loaded.
Tufts would have runners on base in every inning, but finished with 12 LOBs overall.
Muhlenberg (8-3) evened it at 1-1 in the bottom of the first as Ava Storlazzi and Hailey Godin had infield singles and were moved over on a sacrifice by Kaitlyn Buurman. Lillie Teague's infield out scored Storlazzi.
It remained a 1-1 game into the fourth when Muhlenberg scored twice for a 3-1 margin. Kaya Mahy walked to start the inning and stole second. Gillian Zack followed with a double to right-center for a 2-1 Mules lead. Scooter Hulsen then hit a one-out single scoring Zack with the third Mules run. Tufts reliever
Fallon O'Connor stranded the bases loaded after coming on for starter
Malin Medeiros.
Muhlenberg starter Justine Bergara and relievers Abigail Kim and Samantha Fehrenbach would hold Tufts scoreless from the second inning on despite five Mules errors. Bergara earned the win going 4.1 innings allowing six hits and a run. Fehrenbach got a save with a scoreless seventh.
Perucci and Oliva both had two hits for the Jumbos. Medeiros took the loss giving up five hits and three runs in 3.1 innings. O'Connor pitched 2.2 innings of good relief allowing one hit and no runs.
Zack's two hits led Muhlenberg.
Next Up
Tufts plays two more games at the Margie Knight Classic tomorrow against College of New Jersey (11 AM) and host Salisbury (ranked 13th nationally) at 3 PM.
--JUMBOS--
