MEDFORD, MA (May 20, 2023) – Tufts University junior pitcher
Sophia DiCocco fired a one-hit shutout in a must-win Game 6 of the NCAA Regional for the Jumbos, who defeated Moravian University 3-0 on Saturday morning at Spicer Field.
The win forced a decisive Game 7 in the Regional, which started and had to be halted due to rain with Moravian leading 1-0 in the top of the seventh. The game will be continued on Sunday at 10:00 AM.
Tufts (40-5) entered the day needing to defeat the Greyhounds (34-9) twice to win the Regional Championship and move on to the NCAA Super Regionals. DiCocco delivered the first victory, striking out four with no walks to improve to 15-3 on the season.
After retiring the first 14 Moravian batters, the only hit DiCocco allowed was a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth by junior DP Emily Silberman. A Tufts error allowed pinch-runner Ajayla Elmore to take second, but DiCocco got a ground ball for the third out.
Greyhound sophomore starter Madi Cunningham threw three scoreless innings before Tufts got two in the fourth. First-year 1B
Haley Leimbach was hit by a pitch and then first-year DP
Lauryn Horita tripled her home with a deep fly to left. Senior
Michelle Adelman then singled in Horita and it was 2-0.
Tufts added a run in the fifth when
Josie Steinberg hit a two-out double and scored on a single by first-year RF
Kaitlyn Perucci to give the Jumbos a 3-0 advantage.
Steinberg finished with two of the Jumbos' seven hits off Cunningham, who fell to 16-6 while striking out two with no walks in seven innings.
In Game 7, Moravian sophomore 1B Lindsey Gawrys hit a solo home run with two outs in the top of the first. Otherwise, it's a pitcher's duel between Tufts'
Sky Johnson (6 IP, 2 H, 1 R) and the Greyhounds' Sarah DeStefano (6 IP, 1 H, 0 R). The Jumbos' only hit is a double by Steinberg with one out in the first, but she was left there.
Tufts has thee outs left to continue its season on Sunday.
--JUMBOS--
