Worcester State Upsets Jumbo Softball in Florida Spring Game, 7-4

Gracie Marshall had a pair of hits and an rbi for Tufts

Recap courtesy of Worcester State University

MINNEOLA, FL - Sophomore Hayley Terry and junior Taylor Hanley combined for five base-knocks and four rbis as the Worcester State University softball team upset #1 Tufts, 7-4, on Sunday in Florida.

The Lancers (1-1) took a commanding 6-0 advantage in the top of the first and did most of their damage with two men down in the frame. With runners on the corners, Terry and freshman Kayla Humphrey followed with rbis to go up by two scores. First-year Mackenzie Crumley then reached base on a misplayed throw, scoring a pair of runs on the play. Hanley capped off the frame with a clutch two-run single to right.

Tufts (3-1) promptly responded by cutting the lead in half with a three-run blast over the left field fence by first-year Cassie Ruscz.

Worcester State, however, answered and extended their margin to 7-4 in the second inning when Terry plated first-year Courtney Salisbury, who had led off the frame with a single and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice.

In the top of the fourth, the Lancers started off another rally by putting runners on first and second. With no one out in the inning, the Jumbos opted to insert Honda Division III Player of the Year Alyssa Fournier into the game. She promptly retired the side and 12 of the last 13 batters she saw with all of them coming by way of strikeout.

The effort allowed the home team to put the first batter on in three out of the last four frames of the contest, but sophomore Meghan Rich was masterful in the circle for Worcester. Rich did not allow the Jumbos to push across another sore until a late uprising in the final stanza.

In the seventh, Tufts broke the scoreless innings streak by Rich with an rbi single with two outs by junior SS Gracie Marshall, but the comeback effort was short lived as Rich set down the final batter with a looking strikeout to complete the upset.

Rich (1-0) fanned three and walked two batters over her seven innings of work. Crumley and Hanley both chipped in with two base-knocks each while Terry was 3 for 4.

Marshall, senior catcher Jo Clair and senior LF Sara Hedtler all had two hits for the Jumbos.

WSU outhit their counterparts by a final margin of 10-9 with doubles by Humphrey and Pelletier.

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