MEDFORD, Mass. – An eight-run third inning helped lift the Tufts University softball team to an 11-5 victory in game one against the visiting Trinity College Bantams on Saturday afternoon, and a Keriann Slayton three-run home run in game two propelled the homestanding Jumbos to a 4-1 win and a sweep of the three-game weekend New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) series.  Trinity falls to 15-11 overall and 6-3 in the NESCAC East Division.  The Jumbos, ranked No. 23 nationally, improve to 24-9 overall and 7-1 in the division.  The Bantams look to stop a five-game losing skid on Wednesday with a 3 p.m. doubleheader against Smith.

The Bantams got on the board first in game one. In the top of the first inning, junior 3B Michaela Russell (Boston, Mass.) led it off with a single to left field and sophomore 1B Kennedy Rogers (Pomona, Calif.) blasted a two-run home run over the left field fence to give Trinity the early 2-0 lead. Tufts' Nicole Russo hit a three-run home run in the bottom half of the inning to give the lead to Tufts.  The Jumbos broke the game open in the bottom of the third, batting around the order and scoring eight runs on seven hits. The Bantams managed to get three runs on the board throughout the remainder of the game, including a two-run home run from rookie OF Erin Steed (Orland Park, Ill.) in the fourth and a two-out, RBI single by Rogers in the fifth.  Tiffany Stowers was credited with the loss for the Bantams, pitching into the fourth and allowing seven runs on nine hits with four strikeouts. Sophia DiCocco pitched two no-hit innings in relief for Tufts.

DiCocco went on to toss a complete game and allowing just one run on four hits with four strikeouts in game two, outmatching Trinity senior Jordan Stephan (South Orange, N.J.) for the second day in a row.  Jordan also pitched a complete game, allowing four runs on eight hits and striking out seven.  Both pitchers controlled the game throughout the first three innings, but both teams scored for the first time in the fourth stanza. Trinity rookie Taylor Mikolajczak (John's Creek, Ga.) reached on an error in the top of the fourth and eventually scored when sophomore 2B Gianna Tito (East Hanover, N.J.) stole second and forced a throw that allowed Mikolajczak to cross the plate.

In the bottom of the fourth, Slayton sent a bomb over the left field fence with two outs to give the Jumbos a 3-1 lead. Tufts added one more run in the fifth on a double steal.  Steed and senior co-captain Alex Chambers (East Lyme, Conn.) both singled in the sixth for Trinity, and both Rogers and Mikolajczak did the same in the sixth, but both times DiCocco pitched out of trouble.