MEDFORD, MA (April 8, 2023) – Junior Sophia DiCocco and freshman Emilie Doty combined on a three-hit shutout as the Tufts University softball team won game two of today’s double-header against Colby College 2-0 to earn a sweep of the Mules in NESCAC action at Spicer Field.

Doty had saves in both games for the Jumbos (21-1, 6-0 NESCAC), who won the opener 7-2. In four innings overall on Saturday Doty allowed two hits and no runs while striking out eight and not walking a batter.

DiCocco and Colby starter Sam Ahlholm waged a strong battle in the circle in the second game. DiCocco was perfect through five innings and Ahlholm would give up just one earned run in her six innings overall.

The Jumbos scored twice after two were out in the fourth for the eventual winning runs. Nicole Russo slammed an opposite-field double to right sending Lindsay Neumann, who had walked, to third. Keriann Slayton then blooped a single into shallow right scoring Neumann. The throw home got away and when Russo tried to score it looked like she would be out, but Colby made an error on the play and it was 2-0.

DiCocco worked out of trouble in the sixth, stranding runners on second and third. When Colby started the seventh with a pair of base hits, Doty entered and recorded two strike outs and got a ground ball back at her for the final out.

The win was the eighth for DiCocco, who allowed three hits in six innings. Ahlholm was a tough-luck losing pitcher after giving up just five hits to a Jumbo team that has been one of the best offensive teams in the country so far this season.

Sophomore Sky Johnson got the win for Tufts in the first game (4 IP, 7 H, 2 R) and Doty had a three-inning save allowing just two hits. Tufts led 5-0 after three innings with a leadoff home run by Rachel Moore and an rbi single from Kat Yuzefposlky keying a three-run second inning, and then back-to-back rbi singles by Lauryn Horita and Emma Jacobson scoring two runs in the third.

The Mules (12-8, 1-3) scored twice with two outs in the fourth to close within 5-2. Singles by Carissa Cassidy and Courtney Schumacher set up a second and third situation, and then Emma Burnham delivered a two-run base hit to no man’s land in right.

However, Tufts got the two runs back in the bottom frame when a triple by Josie Steinberg scored a pair of unearned runs making it 7-2. Doty entered in relief in the fifth and finished off the victory.

Horita, Jacobson and Steinberg all had two hits for Tufts in game one, with Steinberg finishing with two rbis and Moore scoring twice.

Cassidy and Brenna Forbes had two hits for Colby in the opener. Just three of the seven runs allowed by Mules’ starter Abby Orso were earned in her six innings of work where she let up 11 hits.

Tufts will play a pair of non-league games at MIT on Tuesday.

 

–JUMBOS–