BANGOR, ME- Tufts University finished a perfect 4-0 NCAA Division III Softball Regional Tournament on Sunday afternoon, with a 1-0 walkoff win over Husson in the Championship Round at O’Keefe Field on the campus of Husson University. The regional championship for the Jumbos sends them to the 8-team NCAA Championships in Salem, Virginia.
Tufts (21-5) had several good chances to score some runs throughout the game in what turned out to be a good pitchers duel. In the top of the third inning with two outs and Husson playing as the visitor and needing two wins over the Jumbos, Whitney Bess hit a line drive that rolled to the fence in right center for a sure double that she tried to extend to a triple. Michelle Adelman relayed to the shortstop Mia Steinberg, who threw to third baseman Rachel Moore who tagged out Bess. That turned out to be the only hit for the Eagles. The Jumbos then threatened in the bottom of the third. Reegan Coleman led off with a walk, and then Moore had a bunt single. The next hitter for Tufts grounded out to Kenzie Dore at third base to put two runners in scoring position. Husson starting pitcher Jen Jones got out of it though when Adelman popped out to first, and Emma Della Volpe hit a screaming liner to third that was caught by Dore to get out of the inning still scoreless. Their next scoring chance was in the fifth. Coleman walked, and then with one out advanced to second on a throwing error by Eagles catcher Erin Bonenfant trying to pick her off at first base. Kat Yuzefpolsky then singled into centerfield, but Bess came up firing and cut down Coleman at home.
A two out double by the Jumbos first baseman Nicole Russo in the bottom of the sixth still didn’t bring anything across, and the teams went to the seventh 0-0. The game winning play in the bottom of the seventh for Tufts started with one out, when Coleman doubled to right center. Moore followed by dropping in a single to right to send Coleman to third. Jones, then pitching to Russo, would have a pitch to the outside corner of the plate deflect off the glove of Bonenfant for a passed ball and Coleman came home to end it and send Tufts to Virginia.
Jones (14-1) lost her first game of the season in the circle allowing one run (none earned) on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 6.1 innings. Husson finishes a fantastic season at 29-3, going 2-2 in the tournament. The Eagles are now 6-20 all-time in NCAA Regional games. Moore was the only batter with multiple hits with two for Tufts. Freshman pitcher Sophia DiCocco was phenomenal in shutting down Husson allowing no runs and just the one hit with two walks and three strikeouts in the complete 7.0 inning performance. This is the seventh regional title for the Jumbos (2000, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021), and they also won three straight national championships from 2013-2015.
After Sundays contest, the host site announced the All-Regional team as well as the most Outstanding Player and Outstanding Pitcher for the tournament.
ALL-REGIONAL TEAM:
Pitcher/Brooke Stock, Babson College
Pitcher/Michaela Hamill, Endicott College
3B/Utility/Marley Felder, Brandeis University
3B/SS/Julia Sangiovanni, Eastern Conn St.
Utility/Brooke Matyasovsky, Eastern Conn St.
Pitcher/Outfielder/Sydney Ames, Husson
Infielder/Mia Steinberg, Tufts
Pitcher/Kristi Van Meter, Tufts
Pitcher/Sophia DiCocco, Tufts
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER:
Pitcher/Outfielder/Jen Jones, Husson
MOST OUTSTANDING PITCHER:
Pitcher/Outfielder/Kristina Haghdan, Tufts
HUS (29-3) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 1 1
TUF (21-5) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1- 1 6 2
Winning pitcher- Sophia DiCocco (11-1)
Losing pitcher- Jen Jones (14-1)
Left on base- Husson 4, Tufts 5
