Softball Rolls to 12-1 Victory Over Wesleyan in NESCAC Quarterfinals

BRUNSWICK, ME (May 8, 2026) – The top-seeded Tufts University softball team pounded out 13 hits in four innings, including two home runs, as the Jumbos won their NESCAC Tournament Quarterfinal with a 12-1 run-rule victory over eight-seed Wesleyan University on Friday at Bowdoin College.

The Jumbos, who earned their 30th win of the season (30-9), will play in the semifinals on Saturday against the winner from the Williams College versus Bowdoin College quarterfinal earlier in the day. Wesleyan finishes its season with an 18-18 record.

The Cardinals started strong today, including Rebecca Cassel-Siskind hitting a one-out triple in the top of the first. However, Tufts starting pitcher

Avery Kanouse was able to strand her there. The Jumbos put two on with one out in the bottom half of the inning, but did not score either.

Wesleyan would score first in the top of the second. A walk to Whitney Gigante, a sacrifice bunt by Waverly Smart and a run-scoring double by Nicole Celi had the lower-seed ahead 1-0.

Tufts tied the score quickly in the bottom of the second, as

Cat Kawabe stung a single to center, stole second and scored on a single to left by

Mack Seibel. Later in the inning,

Lauryn Horita hit a home run that deflected off the center fielder's glove and over the fence for a two-run shot that gave Tufts a 3-1 lead.

The Jumbos would break the game open with a six-run third inning to go ahead 9-1.

Paige Murphy led off the inning with a home run, and would later add a two-run single to the barrage. In between Murphy's production, Seibel added two more rbis on a base hit, and

Ella McHugh had an rbi ground out. Tufts had six hits in the inning.

They would add three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. highlighted by an rbi single from

Ella Malin and a two-run double by Horita for a 12-1 advantage.

Meanwhile, Kanouse shut down the Cardinals after the first two frames. She finished the game allowing four hits and one run in four innings to improve her record to 11-3.

Four Jumbos finished with multiple hits. Horita went 2 for 3 with four runs batted in and a run scored, Murphy was 2 for 3 with three rbis and a run, Seibel finished 2 for 3 with three rbis and a run and Malin was 2 for 3 with two runs and an rbi.

Haley Leimbach and Kawabe both scored twice.

Wesleyan's Ella DeCrescenzo took the pitching loss (2 IP, 7 H, 7 ER).

--JUMBOS--