Box Score MEDFORD - Senior CF Michelle Cooprider drove home a run and scored one as the Tufts Softball team advanced to the NCAA Championship Regional final with a 3-1 victory over MIT in game three of the tournament Saturday at Spicer Field.
The 43-0 Jumbos will play in game six of the tournament at noon on Sunday. They will face the Engineers (29-9), who went on to win game five's elimination contest 4-0 over Wellesley later on Saturday. MIT will have to defeat Tufts twice on Sunday to take the regional crown.
On Saturday, MIT starter Lexi Marshall retired the first six Jumbos before Tufts scored a run in the third. Sophomore DP Shelby Lipson led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. She scored on Cooprider's base hit for a 1-0 Tufts lead.
Meanwhile, Tufts ace Allyson Fournier had allowed a one-out hit in the first inning to MIT first-year CF Jasmin Joseph. However, Fournier retired the next 11 hitters through the fourth inning.
Tufts bulked up its lead to 3-0 in the fifth as Cooprider reached on an error to lead off. She stole second and sophomore LF Carrie Copacino followed with a bunt single sending Cooprider to third. She scored on a bunt single by junior SS Christina Raso putting Tufts ahead 2-0. A single by first-year catcher Raven Fournier later in the inning brought home Copacino for a 3-0 Tufts margin.
MIT, playing as the home team, would get to Fournier in the fifth. Senior Ellie Fodor hit a lead-off single to right and senior Karly McLaughlin followed with a bunt single. Fodor was erased on a fielder's choice, but McLaughlin would score on a single to right-center by sophomore 3B Monica Shifflet cutting the margin to 3-1.
Fournier would retire the final seven Engineers to improve her record to 27-0. She allowed four hits and a run with 11 strikeouts and no walks in seven innings.
Though Marshall allowed nine hits in the circle for MIT, she struck out 10 and did not walk a batter while giving up two earned runs in seven innings.
Copacino finished 3 for 4 with a run and Lipson was 2 for 3 with a run for Tufts.
Game Photos by Matt Healey / Tufts
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