MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College softball team opened its season on Saturday by splitting a doubleheader against visiting Tufts (1-1). The Panthers walked off with a 3-2 victory in the opener, while the Jumbos rolled to a 10-4 win in the nightcap.
The Panther softball team will host Williams for a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. and then visit the Ephs for a Sunday game.
The Panther baseball team also swings into action this weekend with an away doubleheader at Williams on Saturday.
Spectators are not allowed on the Middlebury campus due to the pandemic, but school officials said at least teams’ home games will be streamed online at athletics.middlebury.edu.
In game one this past Saturday, Noelle Rushil hit a walk-off single to drive in Tori Papaleo with the winning run to give the Panthers the 3-2 victory. The Panthers had loaded the bases before Rushil’s big hit.
The Panthers took the lead in the fourth on a single by Sophia Marlino and an RBI double by Jen McGann, but the Jumbos responded with two runs in the fifth. The Panthers tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a Kaylee Gumm double, a stolen base and a Sophie Bolinger single.
Jewel Ashbrook earned the pitching win for Middlebury in her collegiate debut, allowing two runs on six hits over seven innings.
In the nightcap Tufts scored four times in the top of the seventh to break open a close game. Chloe McNamara took the pitching loss. For the Panthers, Marlino and Bolinger singled home runs, Megan Fox singled and doubled, and Melanie Mandell singled twice.