MEDFORD, MA- Softball has their season end in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament to #1 Tufts, 13-5 in five innings. The 4^th seed out of the West Division, the Cardinals were given the task of taking on a team in Tufts that has one the last two NESCAC Tournament Championships. After giving up an early run on an error to the no. 1 seed, the Cardinals bounced back in a big way with five 3^rd inning runs to give them a multi-run lead going into the 4^th. The Jumbos offense answered with a seven-run 4^th and five-run 5^th to put the Cardinals away. The Cardinals bats put together 10 hits, however the untimely errors and Tufts offensive firepower were too much in the end as the Jumbos won 13-5. Wesleyan ends their season 13-19, going 4-8 in conference play and winning 12 more games than they did in 2021. Tufts wins and improves to 31-9, advancing to play the winner of #2 Middlebury and #3 Colby which will take place Saturday morning at 9:30 am.

 
HIGHLIGHTS:

• Wesleyan came out swinging the bats aggressively against the best pitcher in the NESCAC. Hannah Docktor '24 delivered a double over the right fielders head, followed by two hard-hit outs by Sophia Sciarappa '22 and Isabella Secaira-Cotto '25. Secaira-Cotto mowed through the first three Jumbos' batters, striking all three out for a quick first half-inning of work
• The Cardinals once again got a runner on 2^nd early in the 2^nd thanks to a Krissy Gately '24 double down the left field line, but again couldn't get a run across. Tufts came back in the bottom half of the inning and delivered the games first run by virtue of one of Wesleyan's six errors on the day. The Jumbos went for one run on two hits and one Wesleyan error and passed ball
• In the 3^rd, the Cards broke through against Sophia DiCocco. After a strikeout to begin the inning, Wesleyan hit three straight singles to load the bases with Courtney Collins-Pisano '22, Docktor, and Sciarappa going back-to-back-to-back with the latter driving in the tying run. Gately then delivered her 2^nd hit of the night  to give the Cardinals a 3-1 advantage. The final big hit of the inning came off the bat of Revi Brown '23, who doubled home two down the right field line to extend the lead to four
• After a quick next two half innings, Tufts' offense came to life in the bottom of the 4^th. The Jumbos used five hits and three Wesleyan errors to not only eliminate their four-run deficit, but give themselves a lead of their own at 8-5. A controversial call came halfway through the Jumbos rally when a pop fly landed in Brown's glove in right field and was immediately lost. There was a quick conversation about whether it was on the transfer, but the call was upheld, and the rally continued
• Wesleyan threatened in the top of the 5^th with runners on first and second, but nothing came of it and the game moved to the bottom of the 5^th. Tufts' bats would catch fire again in what would be the final half inning of the contest. They pushed across five more runs on four hits and two more Wesleyan errors to end the game early.

 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Tufts outhit Wesleyan 12-10
• Eight of the nine Wesleyan hitters that saw an at-bat got a hit
• Five Earned Runs is the most DiCocco has given up all season, and 10 hits are the most she has given up in NESCAC play
• Team leaders to end the season: Batting Average: Sciarappa (.429), Runs: Collins-Pisano (23), Hits: Collins-Pisano (44), Home Runs: Secaira-Cotto (3), RBI: Secaira-Cotto (26), Stolen Bases: Collins-Pisano (16), ERA: Secaira-Cotto (3.13), WHIP: Revi Brown (1.46)