Virginia Wesleyan’s stay at the NCAA Division III softball championship in Marshall, Texas, seemed interminable Thursday, but it went all too quickly Friday.
The Marlins (40-10) were the first team eliminated among the eight finalists, losing 5-1 Friday to Tufts after the previous day’s weather-delayed 4-1 defeat to Wisconsin-Oshkosh, which was interrupted in the first inning for about nine hours and didn’t end until early Friday morning.
Friday, the Marlins were outhit 10-5 by Tufts. The eighth-seeded Jumbos, from Boston, scored twice in the second inning off Emma Adams and never relinquished the lead.
VWU pulled to 2-1 in the third inning when Karley Beltran walked, advanced to second on Sarah Prosser’s groundout and to third on Laci Campbell’s single, then scored on Mackenzie Myers’ groundout.
Tufts (39-9) added a run in the fourth and two in the fifth, and the Marlins stranded two runners in the seventh to end their season.
Jumbos reliever Sophia DiCocco gave up just one hit in 3 2/3 innings, dealing Adams a loss despite her second complete-game performance in two days on East Texas Baptist’s field.
