MARSHALL, Texas – In a tremendous Game 1 of the 2024 NCAA Division III College World Series, the Tufts University softball team lost 2-1 to Linfield University in nine innings on a walk-off home run by the Wildcats' Jacey Leyvas.
The Jumbos (38-9) will now play in Game 6 of the tournament on Friday at 1:30 PM against the loser of Game 2 between the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Virginia Wesleyan University. Linfield (49-2) advances to Game 5 against the winner of the UW-Oshkosh versus VWU game.
Facing a Linfield line-up that came in #1 in the nation averaging nearly 8.5 runs per game, Jumbo starter Sophia DiCocco was excellent today. She went eight innings allowing nine hits and one earned run.
Tufts, seeded eighth in the College World Series, and #1 seed Linfield went to extra innings tied at 1-1. A two-out single by Kaitlin Perucci in the top of the eighth for Tufts did not lead to anything. The Wildcats then had runners on first and third with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. With clean-up hitter Claire Seats at bat, Tufts SS Josie Steinberg made a diving stop of a ball headed up the middle and got a force at second for the third out.
Keila McCabe led off the Tufts ninth with a single to center and was sacrificed to second by Rachel Moore. However, Linfield starter Tayah Kelley retired the next two hitters to strand McCabe. Leyvas then led off the ninth with a home run to right-center to win it for the Wildcats.
Linfield had scored first in the bottom of the second off DiCocco. With two outs, Mackenzie Burke slapped one to the left side. Moore came across to field the ball and had to rush the throw, which went wild allowing Burke to take second. Ashley Sutton followed with rbi single back through middle and it was 1-0 Wildcats.
Wildcat starter Tayah Kelley retired nine straight Jumbos to start the game before Steinberg led off the fourth with a single. Bela Jimenez then dropped one into left and Tufts had runners on first and second with one out. Perucci walked to load the bases, and then Steinberg scooted home on a wild pitch to even the game at 1-1. Tufts still had two on with two out, but could not score more.
Into the bottom of the fifth, DiCocco had retired nine in a row when Sophia vanderSommen hit a sharp single to center with two outs. Tiani Wayton followed with a walk and Linfield went to the top of the order. However, DiCocco fielded a bouncer back at her for final out.
The Jumbos also got a runner into scoring position in the top of the sixth. Lauryn Horita singled through the right side and was bunted to second by Jimenez. A Perucci grounder to the right side sent Horita to third, but Kelley recorded the third out on a ball back at her.
Linfield had a scoring change again in the sixth after Cydney Hess led off with single to left. Seats with one out singled to the hole at short. Leyvas lined to Leimbach at first though, and she tagged the base for a double-play. It was the second of the day for Tufts, with Jimenez-Steinberg-Leimbach turning one in the first.
Keriann Slayton walked with two outs in the Tufts seventh, then Leimbach singled through the right side. Kelley got a fly ball to strand the runners. DiCocco pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh and the game went to extra innings.
Kelley improved to 31-2 in the pitcher's circle giving up six hits and the one run in nine innings. Hess went 3 for 4 for the Wildcats.
Perucci and Leimbach both had a hit and walked for the Jumbos.
