Box Score SALEM, VA - Senior Allyson Fournier pitched a five-hit shutout and the Tufts Softball team scored three unearned runs in the third inning as the Jumbos took a 3-0 victory against Alma College in their opening action at the 2015 NCAA Finals Thursday at the Moyer Sports Complex.
Tufts (47-0), the two-time defending NCAA champion attempting to become the first DIII team to win three consecutive national championships, advances in the winner's bracket to play Salisbury University on Friday at 6:30 pm.
Alma (30-16) drops into the loser's bracket where they will face DePauw in an elimination game on Friday at 1:30 pm.
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Fournier struck out 12 and did not walk a batter while improving to 31-0 on the season. She gave up a pair of two-out hits which put runners on second and third in the first inning, but was able to get out of the jam with a strike out. She retired the next 11 before allowing base hits in the fifth, sixth and seventh.
Alma sophomore starter Morgan Stratton was strong in the circle as well, striking out 12 with one walk and five hits allowed. The loss was her first of the NCAA Tournament.
Jumbos first-year 2B Samantha Siciliano reached on an error to lead off the Tufts third. Senior 3B Bri Keenan sacrificed her to second and senior CF Michelle Cooprider continued her outstanding playoffs stretch with an rbi double to right-center for the first run. After sophomore RF Carrie Copacino was hit by a pitch, and both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Cooprider scored on a ground out by junior SS Christina Raso. Sophomore 1B Cassie Ruscz followed with a single down the right field line scoring Copacino making it 3-0.
The Scots had their best threat in the first against Fournier. With two outs, senior SS Devan Olah singled and senior 3B Lea Lusk doubled to left-center. Senior Brooke Hein hit a one-out single in the fifth, but was erased on a line-drive double play. Junior Kayla Merice singled with one out in the sixth and Lusk had a lead-off base hit in the seventh, but neither advanced.
Cooprider was 2 for 3 with a run and an rbi for Tufts, while Ruscz finished 2 for 3 with the rbi.
Lusk was 3 for 3 for Alma.
The Tufts-Salisbury contest is a rematch of the 2014 NCAA final series, won by the Jumbos two games to one to take the 2014 NCAA Championship. The Sea Gulls won game three of today's opening day 2-1 against DePauw.
Game Photos by Matt Healey / Tufts
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