WELLESLEY, Mass. – In a tripleheader that featured three of New England’s top teams, Tufts came away with two wins to maintain its perfect 26-0 record.  The Jumbos downed the Blue 6-5 in the opener and beat Eastern Connecticut State University in game two, 2-0. In the final game of the day, Wellesley fell to Eastern, 3-0. Eastern finishes the day at 15-5. Wellesley drops to 13-10.

In game one, Tufts took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning on a two-out rally. After a Wellesley error and a walk to Lena Cantone (Southington, CT), Cara Hovhanessian (Framington, CT) launched a double to deep center field, just out of the reach of a diving Jessie Haladyna (St. John's, FL). The double plated Cantone and Samantha Kuhles (Somerville, NJ) and gave the Jumbos a 2-0 advantage.

Wellesley responded in the bottom half of the inning, as Alex Warren (Delta, BC) knocked a solo homerun over the right field fence to cut the lead to 2-1. With two out, Amanda Tai (Melrose, MA) laced a single over the Tufts shortstop and Megan Townsend (Saline, MI) picked up an infield single to put runners on first and second for the Blue, but Tufts starter Lauren Gelmetti (Westfield, NJ) forced a foul out to end the Wellesley threat.

Wellesley went ahead in the bottom of the fourth, when Megan Wood (Jacksonville, FL) and Davis led off the inning with back-to-back singles. After Gelmetti struck out Sinta Cebrian (Seattle, WA) and Warren popped out to third base, Brittany Bakacs (Millstone Township, NJ) hit a double over the right fielder's head to plate Wood and Davis and give Wellesley a 3-2 lead.

Tufts got the runs back and more in the top of the sixth inning. Danielle Lopez (Danvers, MA) and Casey Sullivan (Berlin, CT) picked up singles to start the frame but a missed sacrifice bunt gave Wellesley one out. After the out, Laura Chapman (Seattle, WA) reached on a single to shortstop, but Wellesley hurler Barbarajean Grundlock (Blackwood, NJ) got Kuhles looking the next at bat. Tufts tied the game at 3-3 when Lopez scored on a passed ball and then took the lead on a double from Cantone that scored Chapman and Sullivan to make it 5-3. The Jumbos would add one more run, scoring on a Wellesley miscue to give Tufts a 6-3 lead.

Wellesley threatened in the bottom of the sixth, with two outs and a runner on first and second. However, Chapman made a diving catch to preserve the 6-3 advantage.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Blue made things interesting.  Daniele led off the inning with a single.  After a ground out from Tai, Townsend singled to move Daniele to third, where a pinch-hit single from Sarah Sherburne knocked her home. After a pop-out on the next at-bat, a Davis single scored Townsend and cut the Tufts lead to 6-5. Cebrian followed the single with a walk to load the bases, but Tufts reliever Izzy Santone (Madison, CT) forced a foul out to end the game and give Tufts their 25th straight win this season.

Overall, Wellesley pounded out 12 hits to Tufts nine. The Blue were led by Townsend who had three hits, while Davis and Warren added a pair each. Grundlock pitched well in the loss, throwing seven innings, allowing nine hits and only two earned runs.

For Tufts, Herbst and Hovhanessian each recorded a pair of hits while Hovhanessian and Cantone drove in two each.  Gelmetti picked up the win, throwing six innings and allowing three runs on eight hits. 

Game two featured a pitcher's dual between Eastern Connecticut's Molly Rathburn (Hebron, CT) and Tufts' Santone. The game was scoreless until the top of the seventh inning when Kuhles led off the inning with a single. After Rathburn forced two consecutive pop outs, Christy Tinker (Woodbridge, CT) reached on an Eastern miscue to put runners on first and second with two outs. Maya Ripecky (Chicago, IL) then picked up an infield single to load the bases for Lopez who laced a single to centerfield to put Tufts ahead, 2-0.

In the Eastern half of the inning, Kelly Finlay (Thomaston, CT) led off with a single while Priscilla Alicea (Trumbull, CT) reached on a walk to start a rally for the Warriors. However, Tuft's Chapman made another great play in center field, diving for the fly out and then doubling up pinch runner Rosie Manzo (Hudson, MA) off second base. Santone then picked up another fly out to preserve the win for Tufts.

Eastern Connecticut received one hit apiece from Priscilla Alicea (Trumbull, CT), Ashley Sullivan (Trumbull, CT), Molly Rathbun (Hebron, CT), and Kelly Finlay (Thomaston, CT).  Rathbun, now 11-2 on the season, pitched well for the Warriors, but took the loss, giving up seven hits and two runs, neither earned, in seven innings of work.

Lopez led Tufts with two hits and two RBI.  Kuhles recorded two hits as well, while Sullivan, Ripecky, and Chapman tallied one hit each.  Santone (12-0) was strong in the circle, scattering four hits in seven scoreless innings of work.

In the final game of the afternoon, Eastern Connecticut jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Kim Church (Farmington, CT) led off with a walk, followed by a single off the bat of Katie Dinihanian (Stratford, CT). Both advanced on a passed ball, then Rachel Denny’s (East Haddam, CT) plated both with help from a Wellesley miscue to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.

Wellesley threatened in the bottom of the inning, using singles from Ali Davis (Glen Illyn, IL) and Megan Wood (Jacksonville, FL) and a walk to Cebrian to load the bases with two outs.  But Eastern hurler Katie Pensiero (Stamford, CT) prompted Warren to pop out to end the inning and maintain the shutout.

In the top of the third, Rathbun added to the Warrior lead with a solo shot over the scoreboard in deep leftfield, extending the Eastern lead to 3-0.

After three scoreless innings, Wellesley threatened again in the bottom of the sixth, using a single from Cebrian and a walk to Warren put runners on first second with one out.  Haladyna then doubled off the base of the fence in rightcenter, but Cebrian stumbled rounding third and was thrown out at home.  Pensiero coaxed a ground out from the next batter to hold the Blue scoreless and end the threat.   

Eastern put two on with one out in the top of the seventh, but Sherburne came out of the bull pen to snuff the rally with two ground balls.  Eastern called Manzo from the bullpen for the bottom of the seventh, and she responded, holding the Blue scoreless and preserving the win.

For the Warriors, Rathbun was a perfect 3-for-3, with one RBI. Dinihanian added two hits and Sullivan chipped in one. Penseiro notched the win, scattering five hits in six scoreless innings, while Manzo earned the save.

For the Blue, Cebrian was 2-for-3. Tai, Davis, Wood, and Haladyna recorded one hit each. Wood took the loss, giving up six hits and three runs, two of them earned, in 6.1 innings of work.

Wellesley will return to action at home on Monday, making up a reschedule doubleheader against NEWMAC opponent, Springfield at 3:15pm.