MEDFORD, MA (April 25, 2025) –
Sophia DiCocco came one out away from her first collegiate no-hitter in Game 1, then
Bela Jimenez hit a two-run single that scored the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the fifth of Game 2 as the Jumbo softball team swept NESCAC games from Hamilton College at Spicer Field on Friday. Scores were 4-0 and 2-1.
With the victories, Tufts surpassed 20 wins and now stands 21-13 overall and 13-3 atop the league. Hamilton fell to 14-10 including 5-7 NESCAC.
Fifth-years DiCocco and Jimenez were among the five players honored on Senior Day by the team.
Lacy Chilek,
Lindsay Neumann and
Keriann Slayton from the Class of 2025 were also celebrated, and all five Jumbos played a part in the double-header sweep.
Game 1 – Tufts 4, Hamilton 0
DiCocco had two outs in the top of the seventh before losing her no-hitter. For the second out of the inning, she had charged off the mound to field a slow roller on the right side and turned and fired a perfect strike to first to keep it going. However, Hamilton's Alexis Mayer tripled off the fence in center field to break up the no-no.
Finishing with a one-hit shutout, DiCocco struck out seven and walked one while improving to 12-6 in the circle. She's won 11 of her last 12 decisions.
The Jumbo bats did most of their damage in the bottom of the third, scoring three times. With one out,
Kaitlyn Perucci walked and
Haley Leimbach singled her to second. Heaven Olive doubled to left and it was 1-0. Slayton then delivered a two-run single to right field making it 3-0.
In the Jumbo fifth, Leimbach walked which forced Hamilton to replace starter Emma Tansky with reliever Aubrey Purvis. Oliva reached on a dropped ball in the outfield and then Slayton walked to load the bases. Then with one out,
Madi Sewell singled in a run. However, the Jumbos ran into two outs on the basepaths during the play to end the inning.
Sewell's two hits led Tufts, while Leimbach scored twice.
Hamilton's Tansky started and went four innings allowing five hits and four runs. Purvis threw two innings of two-hit, no-run relief.
Game 2 – Tufts 2, Hamilton 1
Purvis started the second game for the Continentals and retired 11 of the first 12 batters she faced. Oliva's ball into shallow right field on which Hamilton's Miranda Mosqueda nearly made a fantastic play was Tufts' first hit in the bottom of the fourth.
Chilek pitched the first three innings scoreless for Tufts, stranding a runner on base in each frame. The Continentals would take their first lead of the day with their first run of the day in the fourth. Mayer singled to left field, Allison Zorn bunted her to second and a Charlie Quinn single sent Mayer to third. Gaby Guerra brought home the run with a base hit. Chilek was able to leave two Continentals on base.
It stayed a 1-0 game until the bottom of the fifth. Sewell set the table with a walk and Horita singled. Hamilton went to Yael Everett in relief before Neumann bunted both Jumbo runners over a base. Then with two outs, Jimenez lined an opposite-field single to right scoring Sewell and Horita for a 2-1 Tufts lead.
After a scoreless sixth, Guerra had an infield single to lead off the Hamilton seventh. The Jumbos replaced Chilek with
Fallon O'Connor. After a sacrifice bunt and infield out moved Guerra to third, O'Connor was able to hold her there by getting a ground ball to first base for the final out.
Chilek went six strong, allowing seven hits and one run, while improving to 5-0 in the circle. O'Connor had her fourth save in the last 10 days and fifth overall with a scoreless inning.
The Jumbos had just four hits against Hamilton pitching. Purvis pitched well in defeat (4 IP, 2 H, 2R) while Everett did not allow a run in her two frames. Guerra finished 3 for 3 for the Continentals.
Next
Tufts plays its final regular-season games at home on Spicer Field Tuesday in a double-header against Brandeis University.
--JUMBOS--
