MIDDLETOWN, CT (March 28, 2026) - In a rematch of last year's NESCAC Championship Game, the Tufts University softball team swept a double-header at Wesleyan University on Saturday as the Jumbos opened their 2026 NESCAC schedule on the road. The scores were 3-2 and 11-6.
Tufts improves to 13-3 overall (2-0 NESCAC), while the Cardinals dip to 7-8 (1-2 NESCAC).
Game 1 - Tufts 3, Wesleyan (CT) 2
Tufts'
Heaven Oliva homered on the fifth pitch of the game, leading to a three-run first inning that carried the visitors to the 3-2 game one victory.
Batting second for the Jumbos, Oliva smashed her fifth home run of the young season to left field. Tufts would add two more runs to lead 3-0, following back-to-back walks to
Paige Murphy and
Kaitlyn Perucci, an rbi double from
Lauryn Horita and a Wesleyan error.
Molly Lennon led off the Wesleyan first with a double, but Jumbo first-year starting pitcher
Avery Kanouse retired the next three hitters. The Cardinals would get one in the bottom of the second though, after Jordynn Killion led off with a triple to center. She would score on a single through the right side by Whitney Gigante.
Gigante had started in the circle for the Cardinals, but didn't get out of the first inning. However, Jacelyn Lees came on in relief, limited the damage in the first, and kept Tufts from scoring again throughout the rest of the game.
Lennon then led off the Cardinal third with a home run and the hosts were within 3-2. In the home half of the fourth, the Cardinals' Waverly Smart doubled with one out and moved to third, but Kanouse left her there with a K to end the inning.
Tufts went to first-year pitcher
Francesca Colangelo with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Lennon got her third hit of the game with a single up the middle, but Colangelo retired the next two batters and Tufts held its 3-2 lead into the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Tufts'
Cat Kawabe doubled with one out. However, Lees nabbed a line drive hit back at her by
Taylor Hurst and doubled Kawabe off at second base.
Colangelo would retire the final eight Wesleyan batters to earn her third save of the season (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R). Kanouse improved to 4-1, going 4.1 innings in her start and allowing six hits and the two runs.
Fallon O'Connor had a pair of singles for the Jumbos.
Gigante took the loss for Wes (0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER). Lees was stellar, hurling 6.2 innings and allowing five hits and no runs.
Game 2 – Tufts 11, Wesleyan (CT) 6
After two scoreless innings to start the game, both teams broke out in the third inning. The Jumbos would then pull away for the victory.
Tufts' bats came to life in the third, and the Jumbos scored five times. Singles by O'Connor and
Ella Malin sandwiched a Wesleyan error as Tufts loaded the bases with no outs. After the first out was recorded at home, Oliva hit a hard single to left scoring
Erin Hersh for the game's first run. Horita followed with a two-run single up the middle,
Haley Leimbach hit a sac fly to center and Kawabe's infield hit brought home another run as the Jumbos took a 5-0 lead.
The Cardinals then rallied themselves in the bottom of the inning, also loading the bases to start with three straight hits by Ella DeCrescenzo, Sam Chappell and Lennon. Kawabe cut a run down at the plate from second base. However, on the next play, Tufts could not get an out on a ground ball to short by Cat Palmer and Chappell scored Wesleyan's first run. Lennon then scored on a wild pitch, and Lees delivered a two-run single as Wesleyan closed within 5-4. Tufts starter
Sarah Brody got the last two hitters to end the threat.
The Jumbos opened up some space with one in the fourth and one in the fifth, and then the lead ballooned to 11-4 after they scored four times in the sixth. Oliva singled up the middle in the fourth scoring Murphy, who had hit a two-out double. Leimbach singled and Kawabe doubled to start the fifth, leading to a rbi single by Hersh. A two-run single by Kawabe and rbi doubles from O'Connor and Malin were the big blows in the sixth.
Wesleyan scored single runs in the sixth (sac fly by Chappell) and seventh (rbi fielder's choice from Jordynn Killion) for the final of 11-6.
All nine batters in Tufts' line-up scored runs in game two. Kawabe (3 for 4, 1 run, 3 rbis), Oliva (3 for 4, 1 run, 2 rbis) and
Kaitlyn Perucci (3 for 5, run) had three hits apiece as Tufts' 17 total hits were its most this season. Brody won in the pitcher's circle, improving to 5-1 (4 IP, 5 H, 4 R). Colangelo earned her second save of the day and fourth of the season (3 IP, 4 H, 2 R).
Palmer went 2 for 4 with two runs and an rbi, while Lees was 2 for 4 with two rbis for Wesleyan in game two. The Cardinals changed pitchers three times in the game, with DeCrescenzo taking the loss (3 IP, 7 H, 5 R).
Next
The Jumbos play their home opener against Bates College tomorrow at Spicer Field. The double-header is set to start at 1 PM.
--JUMBOS--
