MEDFORD, Mass. — Host top-seeded Tufts on May 12 ousted the eighth-seeded Middlebury College softball team from the NESCAC playoffs, 3-2 in eight innings. Tufts, the No. 6 team in NCAA Division III, improved to 36-3, while the Panthers finished at 18-17.

Middlebury struck for its runs in the third, when Jordyn Johnson reached on an infield single and scored on a Kristyn Carroll double. Carroll extended her hitting streak to seven games. Carroll moved to third on a groundout and scored in a rundown on a Megan Fox groundball. Fox picked up her 39th RBI of the spring on the play.

Tufts loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fourth and scored a sacrifice fly by Nicole Russo.

The hosts tied the game in the sixth. Rachel Moore reached on an infield single and scored on a Russo double.

The Jumbos loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning and scored the winning run on a two-out Emma Jacobson single. McKenna Lont took the loss, allowing two runs in 3.2 innings of relief. Jewel Ashbrook started and surrendered one earned run in four innings. Emilie Doty earned the win for Tufts with four hitless innings of relief.