MEDFORD - The Tufts softball team dropped both games of their double-header home opener against Williams College Saturday afternoon at Spicer Field. The Ephs took the sweep 8-7 and 6-4 to improve to 11-5, while the top-ranked Jumbos fall to 14-3.
Senior Jo Clair (Glastonbury, CT) had an outstanding day for the Jumbos going 4 for 6 with a home run, three rbis and three runs scored. Junior Gracie Marshall (Palo Alto, CA) blasted her first homer of the year for Tufts.
In game one, both teams played scoreless until the Ephs took a 1-0 lead in the third when Ali Graebner advanced to home on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch situation.
In the third, the Jumbos tied the game on senior Sara Hedtler's (Wrentham, MA) RBI double to center scoring junior Bri Keenan (Portsmouth, NH). The home team took a commanding 6-1 lead in the fourth as they scored five runs on four hits for a 6-1 lead.
However, the Ephs answered right back and had their own big inning in the fifth as they plated five runs to tie the game. Williams came back with two runs on four hits in the sixth for the 8-6 lead.
The Jumbos had their opportunity to tie the game as Clair led off the seventh with a triple to center field and scored on a Cassie Rusz (Wolcott, CT) single to left. Tufts would have to settle for the 8-7 setback as the Williams defense retired the next three batters.
Emma Harrington earned the game one victory, while Lauren Giglio (Niskayuna, NY) took the loss.
In the nightcap, the Ephs wasted no time as they put three runs on the board in the top of the first on three hits. Erica Li singled and scored on Kacey Cramer's double to left field. Graebner's single scored Cramer and the final run came when Graebner crossed home on a ground out.
The offense continued as the visitors plated three more runs in the second to take a 6-0 lead after two innings.
This forced a pitching change for the home team as Allyson Fournier (South Windsor, CT) entered the game and quickly struck out two batters in the bottom of the second.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Jumbos rallied for two runs. Christina Raso (Burlington, MA) led off with a single to right and advanced on a passed ball. Clair put Tufts on the board with an rbi single to center field. Rusz's rbi single to center scored Clair, cutting the Ephs' lead to 6-2.
The Jumbos went yard twice in the sixth as Clair blasted her seventh home run of the year. Two batters later, Marshall blasted one to deep center cutting the deficit to 6-4.
Williams' Brooke Bouvier earned the win moving to 4-2 on the season, while Erica County (2-2) suffered the loss. Fournier struck out 10 in five innings of relief.
The Jumbos will play a pair at Rhode Island College on Tuesday starting at 4 pm. Williams will travel to Southern Vermont Wednesday at 3:30 pm.
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