The #25 Middlebury softball team bested #16 Tufts 5-0 in Saturday's opener to advance to the NCAA Regional Final, but Muhlenberg got the best of the navy and white by a 7-5 final to bring the campaign to a close.
HIGHLIGHTS VS. TUFTS
- Each of the first three Panthers reached safely in the top of the first inning. McKenna Lont worked a leadoff walk before Kristyn Carroll sent a base knock to left field and Olivia Fleming legged out a bunt single to load the bases. Two outs later, Sarah LaFond nudged a base hit up the middle to plate Lont and Carroll, establishing a 2-0 edge.
- The Jumbos put runners on second and third with two gone on a double to left center by Lauryn Horita and a Paige Murphy base knock during the bottom half. Panther pitcher Emily Ye induced a flyout to halt the session.
- Middlebury logged key insurance runs in the third. Jen Westphal was plunked and Livy Schultz uncorked a two-bagger to right field. LaFond found a hole in the left side of the infield to plate the third navy and white run. A Tufts miscue capped the spell, as two runs came across to swell the margin to 5-0.
- The hosts looked to answer the surge in the home half. Heaven Oliva drew a free pass before Kaitlyn Perucci dropped a two-out double in the left-center gap. Ye worked out of the jam with an infield popout.
- Ye and Francesco Colangelo settled in over the ensuing innings, keeping third base vacant through the end of the sixth inning.
- The Panther starter posted a three-up, three-down final frame to seal the 5-0 triumph.
HIGHLIGHTS VS. MUHLENBERG
- Middlebury grabbed the lead in the opening stanza. Carroll dashed to third base and darted home via a RBI single from Fleming into center field for an opening 1-0 advantage.
- The Mules wasted no time leveling the battle at 1-1. Ava Storlazzi reached on a base knock to left field before swiping second. She moved within 60 feet on a groundout before crossing the plate on an RBI hit from Hailey Godin.
- A two-out rally helped the Panthers regain a 2-1 advantage in the second. Sera Tokumaru drew a four-pitch walk and advanced a base with a Reagan Adiletta single. Lont smacked a two-bagger to left field that plated Tokumaru.
- Westphal made it to second base on a field error and came around on a LaFond base knock up the middle, powering a 3-1 headstart.
- Scooter Hulsen trimmed the deficit to one in the home portion with a base knock to right field that plated Godin (3-2). Lont entered the circle and limited the damage, inducing a pop-up and punchout to preserve the lead.
- Muhlenberg nabbed its initial advantage in the fourth frame. Godin followed consecutive singles from Josie Hoffacker and Storlazzi with a two-run triple to right field. A fielder's choice bunt from Lillie Teague scored a fifth run, while a Panther miscue pushed two more runs across to cap the five-run frame and open up a 7-3 ballgame.
- Tokumaru guided a run-scoring single to right in the fifth and Olivia Scholes logged an RBI infield knock in the sixth, but Abigail Kim logged the final five outs in the circle for the 7-5 final score.
NOTES
- Carroll finished the day 4-for-9 with a triple and three runs scored. She concludes her career with the best batting average in school history at .485 (240-495), besting the prior mark of .410 set by Melanie Mandell '21.
- LaFond logged a trio of hits and drove in four runs across the two tilts.
- Ye twirled her first complete game with the navy and white against Tufts, striking out three batters across the seven-inning shutout. It marks the first complete game shutout in the program's NCAA Tournament history.
- Scholes logged her 200th career assist in the infield, placing her third in the record books.
- Carroll, LaFond and Ye each landed on the all-regional team.
- Middlebury squared off with the Jumbos for the first time in the NCAA Tournament and the 26th overall. The Panthers battled the Mules for the second time.
The program concludes the winningest season in school history as regional finalists, earning a 35-10 overall record and the program's first NESCAC title since 2011.
