Box Score
MEDFORD – Tufts sophomore Allyson Fournier (South Windsor, CT) pitched a two-hit shutout, her 10th of the season, as the Tufts softball team defeated Middlebury College, 1-0, in game four of the 2013 NESCAC Championship at Spicer Field on Saturday afternoon.
Tufts (37-3) will play next in game six at 10 am on Sunday with the conference title on the line. They will face the winner of game five between Middlebury and Bowdoin. Either team would need to defeat the Jumbos twice in order to capture the crown. The Panthers (26-10) and Polar Bears meet at 3 pm on Saturday for a berth into the finals.
Tufts, playing as the visitor on their home field against Middlebury, scored the game's only run in the top of the first. Junior RF Sara Hedtler (Wrentham, MA) led off with a bunt single and scored when senior SS Emily Beinecke (Concord, MA) doubled to right field with two outs.
Fournier had a no-hitter through five innings. However, Middlebury had four runners on base during that span due to two hit-by-pitches, a walk, and a Tufts error. Fournier bore down and kept the Panthers off the board.
In the Middlebury sixth, first-year 2B Jackie Stern broke up the no-hitter with a line single to left. Senior SS Jessa Hoffman followed with a single to put runners on first and second with no outs. Fournier worked out of the jam by striking out the next two batters and getting a fly ball for the third out. She worked a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh to close out the victory. Fournier improved to 18-1 overall while striking out seven.
Panther junior starter Alexa Lesenskyj took the loss, allowing four hits and one run in four innings. First-year Neve Stearns worked three scoreless innings in relief, giving up four hits and striking out two.
The Jumbos left eight runners on base in the game. Hedtler finished 3 for 3 with a run, while sophomore LF Bri Keenan (Portsmouth, NH) was 2 for 2.
Game Box Score
#
