SAN ANTONIO, TX (March 18, 2025) – The 17th-ranked Tufts University softball team scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull away for the win in game one, then won game two in extra innings as the Jumbos swept a double-header from #11 University of St. Thomas (Houston) on Wednesday at Trinity University (Texas).
The Jumbos improve to 10-2 overall and 5-1 on their spring break trip to Texas. St. Thomas sees a five-game losing streak end as they drop to 15-5 overall.
Game 1 – Tufts 10, University of St. Thomas 3
The #17 Jumbos exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to break open a tie game and take a 9-3 lead on their way to the 10-3 victory over the Celts, the #11-ranked team in the country.
In the decisive fifth for Tufts,
Kaitlyn Perucci walked with one out and
Lauryn Horita singled to get it started.
Cat Kawabe doubled down the left-field line for the first run. After
Taylor Hurst had a pinch-hit rbi on a fielder's choice, fellow first-years
Ella Malin (two-run double) and
Paige Murphy (two-run single) gave the Jumbos the big advantage.
Tufts had led 2-0 after Perucci hit a two-run triple in the bottom of the first. However, the Celts tied it in the top of the third after two were out as Samantha Crumrin delivered a two-run double.
The Jumbos got the lead right back in the bottom of the third, with Perucci again a central figure with a lead-off double. After moving to third on a ground ball, she scored on another ground ball by Kawabe for a 3-2 Tufts lead.
St. Thomas tied the game again in the fifth, when Viviana Vargas hit a two-out single down the right-field line scoring Savana Henken, who had led off with a bunt single.
Tufts opened up its big lead in the fifth, sending 11 hitters to the plate. They would add a run in the sixth as Horita led off with a double and scored on a sac fly by Hurst.
First-year Franny Colangelo earned the pitching victory in relief for Tufts, getting the final 12 outs and allowing six hits and a run in her four innings. Classmate
Avery Kanouse had started for Tufts (3 IP, 6 H, 2 R). Perucci was 2 for 3 with two runs and two rbis for the Jumbos, while Malin finished 3 for 3 with two rbis and a run. Murphy (two rbis) and Horita (two runs) both had two hits.
The Celts out-hit Tufts 12-11, led by a 3 for 4 game with two rbis from Crumrin. Victoria Sossaman absorbed the pitching loss (4.1 IP, 7 H, 8 R).
Game 2 – Tufts 5, University of St. Thomas 3 (8 inn.)
With the game tied 3-3 and the tie-breaker rule in place with Perucci on second base in the top of the eighth inning, Horita bunted and St. Thomas made an error on the play. Perucci scored and Horita took second, and was then sacrificed to third by Kawabe. She would score on a sac fly by Hurst putting Tufts ahead 5-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, first-year
Sarah Brody finished off an excellent effort in the circle by stranding the runner on second with a pair of ground ball outs and a line drive out to end the game.
Brody went all eight innings, allowing nine hits and three runs (two earned) to improve to a 4-1 record.
The teams had traded runs in the second inning. Malin continued her fine day for Tufts with an rbi double scoring Kawabe, who had led off with a walk. Vargas singled to lead off for UST and scored on a base hit by Rebecca Archibald.
It remained 1-1 until Horita's triple to right-center scored pinch-runner
Emma Wingate in the top of the fifth. Horita then came home as she executed a double steal with Kawabe, and Tufts led 3-1.
The Celts would battle back to tie the game with one run in the fifh and one in the sixth. Base hits by Henken and Chloe Bennett started the fifth, then Henken scored on a ground out by Claira Gonzalez. In the sixth, Ana Zozaya led off with a double and scored on a Tufts error.
The Jumbos won the eighth to win the game for another exciting early-season victory.
Tufts was outhit by the Celts again, but made the most of their seven knocks.
Haley Leimbach led with two hits, while Perucci and Horita both scored twice.
Archibald, Vargas and Zozaya all had two hits for St. Thomas, who finished with nine overall. Allison Hughes was the losing pitcher, surrendering seven hits and five runs (three earned) in eight innings.
Next
Tufts concludes its Texas trip with a pair of games at Texas Lutheran University on Friday starting at 3:00 PM CST. The Bulldogs are 16-2 overall and ranked #3 in the NFCA national poll.
--JUMBOS--
