Box Score
MEDFORD – The #6 Tufts University softball team picked up a double-header sweep of the Springfield College Pride, 4-3 (8 innings) and 3-0, in non-league play at Spicer Field on Tuesday afternoon.
The first two innings of game one were scoreless. Springfield then plated three runs in the top of the third. Junior RF Christina Leader (Yorktown Heights, NY) led off with a double and moved to third base on first-year 2B Melissa Nelson's (Milford, CT) single. First-year LF Jenna Webb (Harrison, NY) gave the Pride a 3-0 lead with her fifth home run of the season.
Tufts earned its first run in the bottom of the fourth on a leadoff homer by junior C Jo Clair (Glastonbury, CT), her seventh of the year. Junior 1B Kayla Holland (Attleborough, MA) followed up with a base hit, but she was stranded on second base.
The Jumbos inched to within a run in the fifth inning as first-year 2B Abby Curran (Hamilton, MA) singled to lead things off. Junior RF Chrissie Massrey (San Juan Capistrano, CA) came up next with a single and Curran moved to third due to an error. Sophomore CF Michelle Cooprider (Hopkinton, MA) would drive Curran home with a single.
Springfield would leave two runners on base in each of the next two innings as the score remained 3-2 in favor of the Pride into the bottom of the seventh.
Massrey reached to begin the seventh after an error and then Cooprider sacrificed her to second on a bunt. Senior SS Emily Beinecke (Concord, MA) cashed in with a clutch double to tie the score at 3-3. Clair and Holland would each pop out to leave Beinecke stranded and send the game to extra innings.
Sophomore Allyson Fournier (South Windsor, CT) pitched the eighth inning after senior starter Rebecca DiBiase (Wellesley, MA) tossed 5.1 innings and first-year Erica County (Arlington, MA) threw 1.2 innings. With the tie-break runner on second base to begin the inning, Fournier would strike out the side.
In the bottom of the eighth, senior Aly Moskowitz (Westfield, NJ) served as the tie-break runner at second. She was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by first-year 3B Christina Raso (Burlington, MA). After the second out was recorded, sophomore LF Bri Keenan (Portsmouth, NH) ended the game with a seeing-eye single through the left side.
Fournier (12-1) earned the win with her perfect eighth inning. In her starting role, DiBiase allowed three runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts and three walks. County did not allow a hit in her stint with no strikeouts and two walks.
Springfield junior starter Jennifer Joseph (Stamford, CT) took the loss to drop to 9-7. In 7.2 innings, she allowed three runs (two earned) on nine hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
Fournier started game two for Tufts and she was dominant in picking up another win to go to 13-1. She allowed only four base runners in the game on two hits and two walks. Fournier threw a seven-inning shutout with 12 strikeouts.
Tufts scored its three runs in the third inning on a pair of home runs. Cooprider led off the frame with her fourth long ball of the season. Clair walked with one out which setup Holland's two-run shot, her fourth of the year as well.
Senior SS Kelly Blake (Watertown, CT) and Leader had the lone hits for the Pride.
Junior starter Ashley Marino (Harrison, NY) suffered the loss in game two to fall to 5-7. All three runs she allowed were earned with eight hits, five strikeouts, and one walk.
With the two victories the Jumbos are 27-2 on the season. Springfield falls to 16-16.
Tufts will play a double-header at Bridgewater State on Wednesday at 3:30. Springfield also returns to action on Wednesday at 3:30 with a double-header against NEWMAC rival MIT.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
#
