MEDFORD, MA (May 11, 2024) – Trinity College sophomore Kaysen Shikar pitched a four-hit shutout as the #5 seed Bantams upset #1 seed Tufts University 2-0 in the NESCAC Softball Championship Tournament semifinals on Saturday at Spicer Field.
The Jumbos (32-7) were eliminated from the conference tournament, but are likely to receive an NCAA Tournament berth when they are announced on Monday at 11 AM.
Trinity College (24-14) moves into the NESCAC Championship Game on Sunday at 11 AM where they will face Williams College at Spicer. The Ephs topped Bowdoin College 10-2 in Saturday's other conference semifinal in Medford.
Tufts played as the visiting team today due to tournament protocol. Graduate shortstop
Josie Steinberg and sophomore LF
Lauryn Horita had back-to-back singles in the top of the first. However, Shikar got a pair of pop-ups to stop the threat.
Jumbo junior starter
Sky Johnson allowed a single to Trinity SS Taylor Mikolajczak to lead off the bottom of the first. However, Tufts turned a double-play when
Bela Jimenez scooped up a ground ball at second and tagged Mikolajczak on her way by before throwing to first.
After Tufts went 1-2-3 in the top of the second, Bantam sophomore CF Abigail Alper hit the first home run of her collegiate career to left and the Bantams led 1-0.
Shikar had retired seven Jumbos in a row when Steinberg doubled to left with two outs in the third, but the Trinity pitcher got a fly out to keep the Jumbos off the scoreboard.
Tufts would get a runner to second again in the fourth when
Rachel Moore bunted for a base hit and stole second. Shikar was again able to bear down and get the third out on a fly ball.
Then in the fifth,
Keriann Slayton walked and was sacrificed to second. With two outs, Steinberg scorched a line drive that Bantam Gianna Tito was able to nab preventing the tying run from scoring.
Johnson kept it a 1-0 game through the fifth. Trinity was able to add an insurance run in the sixth though, as Mikolajczak (3 for 3) singled to lead off. Sacrificed to second, she scored when Kennedy Rogers reached out and punched a single through the right side for a 2-0 Trinity edge.
Shikar would retire the final nine Jumbo hitters, with 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and seventh. This was the second time this season she shut down Tufts, including a two-hit shutout in Medford on April 13.
Johnson pitched well in a losing effort, falling to 13-2 after allowing five hits and two runs in her six innings.
--JUMBOS--
