MEDFORD, Mass. -  The Tufts University Jumbos needed nine innings and a some good fortune to escape with a 2-1 victory over the Trinity College Bantams in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) softball action this morning at Spicer Field.  The loss eliminates Trinity from the NESCAC Championship Tournament, as the Bantams end their season with an overall record of 22-14 and a league record of 8-4.  Tufts advances to the championship round of the Tournament, improving to 22-18 overall and 9-2 in the league. 

Facing elimination from the tournament and trailing 1-0 in the sixth inning, Trinity first-year Abby Ostrom (Carlisle, Mass.) came up with a clutch homerun, her fourth of the season, to tie the game at 1-1, and eventually force extra innings.  After a scoreless seventh and eighth, Tufts junior Mira Lieman-Sifry (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.) led off the ninth with a single, before Trinity senior starter Kristen Anderson (West Haven, Conn.) induced a double play to clear the bases.  In the following at-bat, Tufts first-year Jo Clair (Glastonbury, Conn.) took advantage of a two-out misplay to reach third.  On the ensuring play, Clair scored on a close play at the plate after a wild pitch to put the Jumbos up 2-1.

Tufts sophomore starter Rebecca DiBiase (Wellesley, Mass.) retired the side in the ninth to end Trinity's run at the league title.  Both of Trinity's tough-luck losses in the double elimination tournament were by an identical score of 2-1.

Trinity opened the game by loading the bases with two outs, but DiBase escaped the jam and retired the next nine batters she faced.  Anderson matched  zero's with DiBase until the fourth inning, when Tufts junior Lena Cantone (Southington, Conn.) drove in the first run of the day with a double to left-center field.

Anderson wrapped up her career with her second complete game of the weekend for Trinity, and her 17^th complete game of the season. DiBiase earned her second win of the weekend, going all nine innings and giving up one run on seven hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.

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