Box Score MEDFORD - The Tufts University Softball team will play in the NCAA Finals for the fourth consecutive season after a 6-1 victory over WPI today gave the Jumbos a sweep in the best of three NCAA Championship Super Regionals played at Spicer Field.
Tufts, which won game one of the Super Regional 8-0 in five innnings on Thursday, is the two-time defending NCAA Champion. They will attempt to become the first NCAA Division III team to win three national titles in a row when they play at the 2015 NCAA Finals in Salem, Virginia May 21-26.
Senior CF Michelle Cooprider, named Most Outstanding Player of the Super Regional, went 3 for 4 with a run and an rbi today. Most Outstanding Pitcher Allyson Fournier took a perfect game into the seventh inning before recording her 30th win of the season against no losses.
WPI first-year pitcher Kelsey Saucier matched zeroes with Fournier for four innings. Tufts, playing as the visiting team, stranded five runners in the first three innings. Cooprider led off the third with a double and advanced on a ground ball. However, Saucier was able to prevent her from scoring with a ground out and a fly out.
The Jumbos finally broke the stalemate when Keenan walked to lead off the fifth, Saucier's fifth free pass of the game. Keenan promptly stole second and then scored when Cooprider bounced a double over the third baseman's head.
Leading just 1-0 heading into the seventh, Tufts broke it open by scoring five times. A two-run single by sophomore 1B Cassie Ruscz and back-to-back WPI errors produced the five runs. Coooprider singled and scored and sophomore pinch-hitter Shelby Lipson walked and scored in the inning.
Fournier was perfect through six before WPI first-year LF Nina Murphy-Cook had an infield single to lead off the seventh. She stole second and took third when the throw went into the outfield. Engineer first-year CF Ama Biney followed by breaking up the shutout with a line drive single to left. Fournier nipped the WPI rally by retiring the next three hitters to end the game.
Cooprider, who was 4 for 4 with a home run, four rbis and two runs scored in game one, finished the Super Regional 7 for 8 (.875) with five runs scored and three rbis. Fournier, who allowed two hits and an unearned run with 12 Ks and no walks today, struck out 23 and walked no one while allowing five hits and no earned runs in 12 innings overall.
Saucier's effort was better than her final line of 6.1 innings, four hits, four runs (three earned) and three strikeouts would indicate, though she walked six.
With the victory, Tufts kept its NCAA Division III record winning streaking going at 48 games as they improved to 46-0 on the season. The program will be making its sixth appearance in the NCAA Finals overall (2000, 2009, 2012-15).
The Tufts-WPI Super Regional was the only one out of eight contested on Thursday and Friday. The other seven berths into the NCAA Finals remain to be determined. Head coach Cheryl Milligan's Jumbos will play the Alma / Lake Forest Super Regional winner in game four of the NCAA Finals on Thursday, May 21 at 6:30 pm.
Tufts is in its 15th NCAA appearance overall, now with a 52-25 record in NCAA games.
WPI, which started only one senior in the Super Regional, ended its first-ever NCAA qualifying season at 34-11.
Game Photos by Matt Healey / Tufts
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