Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
|
Jo Clair hit her 12th home run in the first game
|
SPRINGFIELD - The Tufts softball team, ranked eighth in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll last week, finished its 2012 regular-season by splitting a double-header at Springfield College on Monday. The games were make-ups from earlier in the season. The Pride won 2-1 in the first game, but the Jumbos took game two 4-2.
The Pride dealt the Jumbos just their second New England loss. Kelly Blake singled to drive in the winning run, giving her Springfield team a come-from-behind 2-1 victory in eight innings over Tufts at SC's Potter Field. In game #2, Tufts junior Rebecca DiBiase (Wellesley, MA) picked up her 12th win as the Jumbos won, 4-2.
With the split, Tufts becomes 33-5 and Springfield is now 25-15-1. The Jumbos had won nine straight and 21 of their last 22 games prior to the first game.
In game #1 for the Pride, sophomore Jennifer Joseph notched the victory, upping her record to 12-4. Allyson Fournier (South Windsor, CT) suffered her first loss of the season, and is now 15-1. Joseph allowed nine hits and three walks, while striking out one. Fournier gave up only four hits and one earned run in pitching the distance. She struck out 13 and walked three. She also had three hit batters.
Tufts opened the scoring in the top of he fourth inning. Catcher Jo Clair (Glastonbury, CT) blasted her 12th home run. The Jumbos had more chances, but could not push across any more.
In the bottom of the seventh, SC scored once on a single, a sacrifice bunt, a walk, and two hit batters. Tess Gagliano was hit by a pitch to knock in the tying run with one out. In the SC eighth, Christina Leader was placed on second. Ally Rivelli then bunted Leader to third. Kasey Kelly walked. The game ended when Blake singled to left, with Leader scoring.
DiBiase threw six innings allowing six hits and one earned run while picking up her 12th win in the second game, another tight contest. Junior Lauren Giglio (Niskayuna, NY) earned a save.
Tufts put two on the board in the first. Sophomore Sara Hedtler (Wrentham, MA) and Clair got on with base hits and a sac fly by senior 1B Lena Cantone (Southington, CT) and a single by junior 2B Emily Beinecke (Concord, MA) brought them home.
Springfield pulled within 2-1 in the third when Tess Gagliano hit a one-out single and eventually scored on another base hit by Ally Rivelli. It was 3-2 heading into the seventh after first-year 3B Kris Parr (Austin, TX) singled home a run for the Jumbos in the fifth, and Kasey Kelly doubled and scored for the Pride in the sixth. DiBiase got out of a bases-loaded and one-out jam in the sixth with a line-drive double play.
The Jumbos added a run in the seventh as Cantone (2 for 2, 2 runs, rbi) singled and scored. The Pride had base-runners again in the seventh, but Giglio stranded the potential tying run on third base.
The Jumbos had 11 hits in the game, including two each by Hedtler, Clair and Beinecke as well. Gagliano's two hits paced the Pride. Sophomore pitcher Ashley Marino suffered the loss, allowing six hits and two runs in four innings.
Tufts will face Middlebury in the first round of the NESCAC Championship hosted by Amherst on Friday at 5 pm. Springfield starts NEWMAC Championship action at home against Coast Guard on Saturday at 12 noon.
Game 1 box score
Game 2 box score
#
