Box Score
MEDFORD - Senior tri-captain Rebecca DiBiase (Wellesley, MA) pitched a one-hit shutout and sophomore CF Michelle Cooprider (Hopkinton, MA) went 4 for 4 and scored four runs as the Tufts softball team won its eighth NESCAC title with an 8-0 victory in six innings over Bowdoin on Sunday morning at Spicer Field.
The Jumbos (38-3), who had 12 hits in the game, earn the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Championship. Tufts will play in the NCAA's for the 13th time overall. Bowdoin (30-14) will await a potential at-large berth into the NCAA's. The field for the 2013 NCAA Championship will be announced on Monday morning.
DiBiase faced the minimum batters in her six innings of work. Bowdoin junior 2B Hanna Wurgaft led off the game with a single to right, the only hit of the game for the Polar Bears. She was forced out on a ground ball by senior SS Toni DaCampo, who was later caught stealing.
Cooprider provided all the offense that Tufts would need in the bottom of the first with a long home run to left. However, Tufts would open up a 6-0 lead by scoring five times in the third. They had five hits and took advantage of two Bowdoin errors in the inning. Sophomore LF Bri Keenan (Portsmouth, NH) delivered a two-run double to center to highlight the frame.
Tufts increased the margin to 7-0 in the fourth inning with consecutive singles by Cooprider, junior catcher Jo Clair (Glastonbury, CT), and senior SS Emily Beinecke (Concord, MA), who had the rbi.
The Jumbos were able to end the game by the eight-run rule in the bottom of the sixth. Cooprider capped an outstanding day at the plate by leading off with a hard single through the right side. She moved to third on Beinecke's single, which was accompanied by a Bowdoin error. Keenan's single up the middle brought home Cooprider to end the game.
DiBiease struck out two and did not walk a batter while improving to 8-1 on the season. She recorded eight outs on grounders and seven on fly balls. Joining Cooprider to lead Tufts offensively were Beinecke (3 for 4, two rbis, run) and Keenan (2 for 3, three rbis, run).
Polar Bears junior Melissa Della Torre suffered the pitching loss, giving up fiive hits in 2.2 innings. She allowed five runs, but only two were earned. Bowdoin made four errors in the game.
Tufts added the 2013 NESCAC title to their previous conference crowns in 2001-03, 2007-09, and 2012. The victory was also the 300th of Tufts head coach Cheryl Milligan's 10-year career at Tufts.
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