Softball | 5/14/2026 1:05:00 PM
MEDFORD, MA – The Alfred University softball team contended in its opening round of the NCAA Division III Softball Championships in the Medford Regional as the No. 4 seed and fell in a closely-matched loss to No. 1 seed and #18 nationally-ranked Tufts University on Thursday morning, 7-5.
The Saxons (29-14) faced the hosts of the regional and got out to the early, 1-0 lead after the top of the first inning when
Bella Mistretta (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield Secondary) singled to center field to bring
Samantha Vidal (Lake Worth, FL/Forest Hill) home from second base. The Jumbos (31-10) scored four runs in the bottom of the frame in response.
AU showed consistency in scoring, putting up one run in each of the following three top segments.
Brielle Wark (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) drove in
Ally Boulger (Mukilteo, WA/Kamiak) with a single up the middle to make it a 4-2 Tufts lead after a scoreless bottom of the second inning from the hosts.
Kendall Steward (Kennedy, NY/Randolph) singled through the left side to bring Mistretta home in the top of the third, bringing AU within one run, 4-3. The Jumbos responded with a run in the bottom of the frame, making it a 5-3 advantage.
In the top of the fourth, Steward faced a loaded bases situation and was walked for another RBI as
Alexis Martinez (Anaheim, CA/Woodbridge) was pushed home for the 5-4 score.
Molly Whitmyer (Enola, PA/Trinity) reached first in the bottom of the sixth inning by an error from the Tufts second base player, giving Vidal time to reach home and tie the game up at five runs each.
Tufts put two more runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth and closed out the top of the seventh to advance in the winners' side of the bracket.
The Saxons out-hit the Jumbos, 11-10 and only had one error compared to the hosts' three mishandles. Mistretta was a perfect 4-for-4 with one RBI and one run while Vidal was 3-for-4 with two runs.
The Saxons will next take on the loser of Middlebury and Muhlenberg on Friday, May 15 at 12:30pm in an elimination game.
--Swords Forward Saxons--