COLUMBUS, GA (March 2, 2025) – The Tufts University softball team lost to two Top 10 nationally-ranked squads on the final day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic Sunday. The Jumbos were defeated 6-4 by #7 Case Western Reserve University and 11-2 by #10 Trine University.
The Tufts team comes home from Georgia, where they faced four top 10 teams overall, with a 1-5 record.
Case Western 6, Tufts 4
The Spartans built a 3-0 lead with three runs in the third. A two-run single by Kaelyn Zusi highlighted the inning.
The Jumbos closed to 3-1 in the bottom of the frame when
Lauryn Horita led off with a walk and later scored on the fourth walk of the inning for Tufts by
Emma Tonies. However, the Jumbos would leave the bases loaded.
Katelyn Lamm's run-scoring single was part of a two-run fourth inning that put Case Western up 5-1.
Tufts would close the gap to 5-4 with a three-run sixth. One-out base hits by
Bela Jimenez and
Kaitlyn Perucci led to run-scoring hits by
Cat Kawabe and Horita. However, Tufts again left the bases loaded.
The Spartans would add a run in the bottom of the sixth. KaiLi Gross singled, stole second and scored on a single by Isabella Russo for the final run of the game.
Horita and Jimenez both had two hits in the game for Tufts.
Sophia DiCocco took the pitching loss (6 IP, 9 H, 3 ER).
Gross, Russo and Zusi had two hits for Case Western. Lexi Miskey started and did not allow a hit in four innings on her way to earning the victory.
Trine 11, Tufts 2
The Thunder scored two in the second and three in the third to take a 5-0 lead. An rbi single from Whitney Duell was part of the second inning. In the third, a leadoff home run by Tyra Marcum and an rbi double from Emma Lee helped build the margin to five.
Another home run by Marcum in the fourth made it 6-0 before Tufts got on the board. Horita hit a one-out double and scored on a single by Jimenez.
The Thunder would blow the game open with five runs in the top of the seventh. A three-run home run by Ainsley Phillips led the way.
Tufts finished with a run in the bottom of the seventh.
Haley Leimbach and Perucci started with singles and Leimbach eventually scored on a fielder's choice by Kawabe.
Leimbach with two hits led Tufts.
Fallon O'Connor started in the circle and allowed nine hits and four earned runs while absorbing the loss.
Marcum (3 for 3, 3 runs, 2 rbis), Lee (3 for 4, 3 runs, rbi) and Phillips (2 for 3, 3 rbis, 2 runs) had big days at the plate for the Thunder. Alexis Michon started for Trine and went five innings giving up four hits and a run for the victory.
Next
The Jumbos will be idle for the next two weeks before beginning play at the Margie Knight Softball Classic at Salisbury University on March 15. They play four games there starting against WPI.
--JUMBOS--
