Box Score MEDFORD - Junior SS Christina Raso had rbis in the third and fifth innings as the Tufts Softball team advanced in the NCAA Div. III Championship Regionals with a 3-1 victory against Wellesley College Friday at Spicer Field.
With the win, Tufts improved to 42-0 overall and increased their current winning streak to 44 straight games. Both are new NCAA Division III records, surpassing the 41 straight in one season and 43 in a row overall set by the University of St. Thomas (MN) in 2004-05.
Tufts advances to game three of the Regional on Saturday to face MIT at 11 am. The Engineers were 8-0 winners in six innings against Elms in game one of the Regional on Friday. Wellesley (22-15) will play an elimination game against Elms at 1:30 on Saturday.
Wellesley took a 1-0 lead on the Jumbos in the third inning, stopping Tufts senior pitcher Allyson Fournier's NCAA record of consecutive scoreless innings at 105.1. First-year 1B Amanda Manning led off with a single and eventually scored on a two-out base hit by senior 2B Maria LaBouyer. Fournier hadn't given up a run since March 20 against Wisconsin-River Falls.
Tufts responded immediately however, scoring without the benefit of a hit in the third. A walk and two fielder's choices put senior CF Michelle Cooprider on third and she scored on Raso's sacrifice fly.
The Blue's four hits off Fournier were the second-most she has allowed all season. Sophomore catcher Ashtyn Coleman and sophomore LF Anna Pisac hit back-to-back singles to lead off the second. However, after giving up the rbi single to LeBouyer in the third, Fournier finished the game by retiring 13 in a row.
The Jumbos took the lead in the fifth when sophomore LF Carrie Copacino hit an infield single and stole second. She scored on Raso's single up the middle making it 2-1. Tufts added an insurance run in the sixth when senior RF Gracie Marshall singled, stole second and third and scored on Copacino's bouncing single over third base.
Fournier improved to 26-0 while striking out eight. Copacino at 2 for 3 with a run and an rbi and Marshall at 2 for 2 with a run joined Raso as Jumbo offensive leaders.
First-year Madeline Bianchi pitched well in a losing cause for Wellesley. She gave up eight hits and three runs with five strikeouts and three walks in six innings. The Jumbos had the lead-off batter on base every inning, but left eight runners on base as Bianchi often worked out of trouble.
#
