SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (March 17, 2026) – With two outs in the top of the seventh, first-year
Paige Murphy doubled home the tying run and then senior
Kaitlyn Perucci had the eventual game-winning base hit as the Tufts University softball team came from behind to win the second game 7-6 and sweep a double-header at Trinity College (Texas) on Tuesday night.
First-year
Avery Kanouse pitched a four-hit shutout in game one, a 4-0 Tufts victory. The Jumbos (8-2) trailed the Tigers (10-5-1) by a 5-0 score early in the second game before coming all the way back to earn the win and a sweep.
Game 1 - Tufts 4, Trinity (TX) 0
Kanouse pitched Tufts' first shutout of the season, and senior
Haley Leimbach stayed hot by going 2 for 4 with two rbis at the plate in Tufts' game-one win.
The Jumbos got started right away, scoring twice in the top of the first inning. Murphy walked with one out and took second on a wild pitch.
Heaven Oliva followed with a double to right-center, and quickly it was 1-0 Jumbos. After an infield single by Perucci,
Cat Kawabe singled home Oliva for a 2-0 Tufts lead.e fir
Kanouse did not allow a hit through three innings, and Tufts added to its lead in the top of the fourth. Perucci, Kawabe and junior
Fallon O'Connor started the inning with consecutive infield singles. After Trinity forced two outs at home plate, Leimbach singled down the left-field line scoring O'Connor and it was 3-0 Tufts.
The Tigers loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fourth, including their first hit by Carsyn Lee, followed by another single from Hannah Flores. However, Kanouse shut down the threat with a fly out, a foul out and a strike out to keep the game at 3-0.
A two-out rbi single from Leimbach gave Tufts a 4-0 lead in the top of the sixth frame.
Lee doubled with one out in the sixth for Trinity, and moved to third with two outs, but Kanouse left her there. The Jumbo first-year then closed out her fourth victory by stranding one on base in the bottom of the seventh.
In addition to Leimbach's production, Kawabe had three hits, Oliva and Perucci both finished with two hits and O'Connor scored twice.
Josephine Koelewyn took the pitching loss for Trinity (7 IP, 11 H, 4 R). Lee finished 2 for 3.
Game 2 – Tufts 7, Trinity (TX) 6
The host Tigers put five runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning, highlighted by a three-run triple from Jordan Arce. However, the Jumbos clawed their way back and won it with the pair of runs in the top of the seventh.
Tufts' comeback started with a single run in the top of the second. With the bases loaded, Murphy – who would finish game two 5 for 5 with two runs and two rbis- hit a single up the middle scoring pinch runner
Taylor Hurst for the first Tufts run.
The Jumbos then scored twice after two were out in the top of the fourth to close within 5-3. A double by Oliva, a single from Murphy and an rbi base hit by Perucci brought home the first run.
Lauryn Horita then singled through the left side scoring Murphy.
Tufts first-year pitcher
Sarah Brody had come on in relief in the first inning and was solid for the remainder of the game. Trinity would score on her in the bottom of the fourth as the Tigers' Hannah Boudreaux singled and scored on a double by Lee for a 6-3 advantage.
The Jumbos kept coming back though, as Oliva homered to lead off the sixth. Murphy then doubled and scored following a base hit by Perucci and sac fly from Horita, making it a 6-5 game.
Into the top of the seventh, a Trinity error put Jumbo
Ella Malin on base and Leimbach followed with a single to center. After a second out was recorded, Murphy doubled home Malin tying the score 6-6, and then Perucci's single up the middle scored Leimbach to give Tufts a 7-6 lead.
Lee singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh for the Tigers, but Brody recorded the next three outs to get Tufts the win.
The top four hitters in Tufts' order finished game two 12 for 18 with five runs scored and five runs batted in. Along with Murphy, Perucci went 4 for 5 with two rbis and Oliva was 2 for 4 with two runs and an rbi. Brody pitched 6.2 innings allowing five hits and two runs for the win in relief.
Trinity's Lee finished 2 for 3 with a run and an rbi. Megan Kriechbaum took the pitching loss, going six innings giving up 12 hits and five runs (three earned).
Next
Tufts will play the University of St. Thomas in a double-header at Trinity on Wednesday as their week in Texas continues.
--JUMBOS--
