Introduction of Allyson Fournier Caron, presented by Lauren Ebstein, Tufts Softball Head Coach, and Cheryl Milligan, Former Tufts Softball Head Coach

When speaking publicly about our next inductee, we often say that she is “arguably” the best pitcher in the history of Division III softball. But among Jumbos, we know there’s really no “argument” about it. 

If you search Allyson Fournier’s name in the NCAA Division III softball record book, it comes up 43 times. You heard that correctly – 43 times! Those records include: Best career earned run average – 0.44; most consecutive victories – 44; most career no-hitters -14; and so many more.

During four years in the circle for the Jumbos, Allyson recorded an astounding 111-5 career win-loss record. And during her magical senior season in 2015, Allyson earned a perfect 35-0 record, had a miniscule 0.20 ERA, pitched five no-hitters and two perfect games, and – get this – she averaged two strikeouts per inning! And she did all of that while leading the team to an unprecedented 51-0 record. 

Allyson did so many things that were unprecedented ... things that we may never see again. Here are some examples:

•    Allyson was a 4-time NESCAC Pitcher of the Year;
•    She was a 4-time NFCA first-team All-American;
•    She pitched the Jumbos to three straight NCAA championships from 2013-15;
•    And for the incredibly prestigious Honda Award given to the national Female Athlete of the Year, Allyson won that award not once, but twice – something no other athlete in Division I, II or III has ever done!
•    And after graduation, Allyson became the first non-Division I athlete to play in the National Pro Fastpitch League.

But where did this softball phenom come from? Well, she came from East Catholic High School in Manchester, Connecticut, and she chose Tufts because she was just as passionate about her academics as she was about softball. She had received offers from other Division III colleges and a few Division I’s, but she wanted an engineering degree and the type of college experience that Tufts offered – so she became a Jumbo, and the rest is history!

Throughout her career, her physical talent was matched only by her mental toughness and competitive fire – and fans learned quickly they better not be late to games she was pitching because they were usually over quickly. 

About Allyson, my co-presenter Coach Milligan once said, "Allyson was a fierce competitor on the mound, a humble teammate in the locker room, and a workaholic on the practice field. It is no coincidence that these attributes led to such a tremendous career. She was a huge part of our team and fit into our culture seamlessly by being the kind of kid who makes a coach proud and fellow teammates better, all the while maintaining an unassuming air. We could not have achieved our team success without her."

We’ve thrown a lot of statistics and records at you tonight, but to put this Hall of Famer’s achievements in perspective, here is just one more. In the Tufts record books for softball, pitching records are kept in eight categories. And in each of those eight categories, there is a single-season record and a career record. So, for all the non-math majors out there, that means there are 16 total pitching records at Tufts. How many of those 16 records do you think Allyson holds?

You guessed it – all 16 of them. And many of them, she leads by a mile! 

And like most Jumbos, Allyson’s academic and extracurricular records were just as impressive. While managing the time demands of a varsity sport, Allyson served on the Tufts Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, earned Dean’s List honors, and graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering. 

Reflecting back on her time at Tufts, Allyson said, "I most enjoyed the competitiveness of facing a batter on the mound and my time spent with teammates, who remain my best friends today. My softball experiences exceeded all expectations and made me into the person I am today."

Well, Allyson, you certainly exceeded our expectations too, and we thank you for helping to make Tufts Softball into the program it is today. And tonight we are honored to welcome you into the Tufts Athletics Hall of Fame!