Box Score 
BABSON PARK - Senior Emily Beinecke (Concord, MA) and sophomore Bri Keenan (Portsmouth, NH) each had two hits and sparked a four-run third inning by driving in three runs as top-seeded Tufts University claimed the NCAA Babson Park Regional title with a 4-1 win over second-seeded Rowan University on Monday morning at Alumni Field.
With its 15th consecutive victory, Tufts moves to 42-3 on the season and will be making its second consecutive NCAA Finals appearance, and the fourth in program history. They will now travel to Eau Claire, Wisconsin to take part in the eight-team championship from May 17-21 at Carson Park.
Tufts, who is currently ranked seventh in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll, will open up NCAA Finals play on Friday when they face the University of Texas-Tyler, who is 44-4 on the season and ranked fifth nationally. Game time is set for 5:00 pm.
Rowan, which was playing in its second straight Regional Championship game, finishes the year at 41-9.
The Jumbos, who piled up 10 hits on the day, averaged 8.3 runs in their four regional games and broke the title game open with a big third inning. After putting together just a pair of singles over the first 2.2 innings, Tufts registered four consecutive two-out hits to chase Profs' starter, junior Krysti Maronski (Woodbury Heights, NY) and take command of the contest.
After junior Jo Clair (Glastonbury, CT) was issued an intentional walk with two outs, putting runners on first and second, Beinecke drove home first-year Christina Raso (Burlington, MA), who had singled to start the inning, for a 1-0 lead. Keenan followed with a single through the right side to plate Clair and Beinecke for a 3-0 advantage, and sophomore Kris Parr's (Austin, TX) single up the middle chased Maronski from the game. Sophomore Gracie Marshall (Palo Alto, CA) greeted Rowan's LeAnne Miller (Vineland, NJ) with an rbi single to right field to score Keenan, giving the Jumbos a 4-0 bulge.
The lead was more than enough for sophomore Allyson Fournier (South Windsor, CT), who carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, and allowed just a solo home run to sophomore Alysa Romero (Newfield, NJ) to start the fifth and an infield single to Maronski in the seventh. Named as the Babson Park Regional Most Outstanding Player, Fournier struck out 14 and walked just one to move to 21-1 on the year. In four appearances during the Regional she allowed just four earned runs and 10 hits over 23 innings while striking out 41 batters and walking just two.
Maronski, who picked up a pair of wins at the Regional, kept Tufts off balance early, but didn't make it out of the third inning, allowing four runs on five hits to go along with two strikeouts and two walks in falling to 14-3 on the season. Miller gave up five hits and struck out two over the final 3.1 innings for the Profs, who tied the program record with 41 wins on the year.
Maronski and Miller both joined Fournier on the All-Regional team along with junior Kathleen Conway (Simsbury, CT) of Babson. Clair, who hit .467 (7/15) with two home runs, two doubles, and a regional-high seven runs batted in also represented Tufts, along with teammates Keenan, Beinecke, Marshall and junior Sara Hedtler (Wrentham, MA).
Romero and junior Jennifer Arcella (Hillsdale, NJ), who combined for six extra-base hits, including four home runs and seven runs batted in, were named to the All-Tournament team along with first-year shortstop Shilah Snead (Malaga, NJ). First-year Jenna Webb (Harrison, NY) of Springfield College also earned an All-Tournament selection after leading the regional with a .615 average (8/13) along with two runs scored and one RBI.
Today's contest was only the third meeting between Tufts and Rowan, all of which have come in NCAA Regional play. The Profs defeated the Jumbos twice in the 2006 Regional hosted by the University of Rutgers at Camden.
Tufts has won eight straight NCAA Regional games after sweeping through the Willimantic Regional in 2012 with a 4-0 record. The Jumbos, who went 1-2 at last year's Championship in Salem, Virginia, are 3-6 in their three previous NCAA Finals appearances. The 2009 team went 2-2 at the NCAA Finals hosted by Monclair State in New Jersey. The 2000 Jumbos made the program's first national finals appearance in Salem, Virginia and lost twice.
Rowan is now 9-4 in NCAA Regional elimination games since 2009 and won three elimination bracket games in this year's Regional…The Profs have totaled 13 victories in their last four NCAA Tournament appearances (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013).
Game Box Score
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Game recap courtesy of Babson College
