MEDFORD, MA (May 14, 2023) – First-year Sadie Leonard pitched a complete game allowing four hits and junior DP Kelly McGuigan hit a two-run home run leading the Williams College softball team to a 3-1 win over Tufts University for the 2023 NESCAC championship today at Spicer Field.
Meeting in the conference final for the 10th time, Tufts and Williams had won 18 of the 21 previous championships dating back to 2001. The Ephs take their seventh league title with today's victory.
Williams (22-15) receives the NESCAC's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Tufts (37-4) will get an at-large invitation when bids are announced on Monday at 1 pm.
The Jumbos were unable to capitalize on their offensive opportunities today, and it started in the first inning. They left the bases loaded against Leonard who walked three in the inning.
The Ephs then took a 1-0 lead in the second against Tufts starter
Emilie Doty. A Jumbo error on a pop-up led to an unearned run with a two-out base hit by Williams senior Adhya Tandon.
Two-out singles by
Kat Yuzefpolsky and
Bela Jimenez eventually led to a second-and-third situation for Tufts in the second, but Leonard got a ground-ball out to end the frame.
Then after a single by Kayla Chang with one out in the third, McGuigan hit her fourth home run of the season to left-center and the Ephs led 3-0.
Jumbo reliever
Sky Johnson would go 4.2 good innings in relief allowing six hits and no runs. However, Leonard looked to be settling into a groove for Williams with a 1-2-3 inning in the third and fourth, and then leaving a runner on second in the fifth.
Tufts' biggest chance came in the sixth when they loaded the bases with no outs on a bunt single by
Rachel Moore, a walk to
Haley Leimbach and a Williams error. They would only be able to get one though, on a fielder's choice by
Emma Jacobson, as Leonard limited the damage.
In the bottom of the seventh, Leonard retired the first two Tufts hitters before she made an errant throw to first on a ball hit back to her. That brought the tying run to the plate for Tufts, but Leonard was able to get a ground ball to short clinching the championship for the Ephs.
Chang and Fleming both had two hits for Wiliams, while Leonard improved to 16-4 and struck out seven with four walks in her outing.
Jimenez was 2 for 3 with a walk at the top of Tufts' line-up. Doty took the loss, allowing three hits and three runs (two earned) in 2.1 innings.
Both teams stranded nine runners on base in the game.
--JUMBOS--
