Box Score CLERMONT, Fla. – Senior DP Cassie Ruscz provided all of the offense with two home runs in the Tufts University Softball 2017 season-opener on Saturday in Florida as the Jumbos defeated Plymouth State University 4-0.
Junior Raina Galbiati and freshman Gillian O'Connor combined on a two-hit shutout with no walks for the Jumbos (1-0).
Plymouth State's Kayla Mathieu went the distance in the pitching circle allowing five hits and four runs with no walks in seven innings. The Panthers dropped to 2-1.
Ruscz homered in her first at bat of the season in the top of the first inning, scoring junior 2B Samantha Siciliano who led off with a double. Ruscz was at it again in the third, clubbing a two-run shot to give Tufts a 4-0 advantage. Sophomore SS Christian Cain, who had hit a one-out single, scored in front of Ruscz.
Galbiati did not allow a hit through four innings. Plymouth sophomore DH Mel Goss opened the fifth with a single to spoil the no-hitter. After junior RF Taylor Wood reached by a fielder's choice that erased pinch runner Jen Landers, Wood later tried to score on a single by Rachel Morrissey and Jumbo RF Raven Fournier threw her out at the plate.
Mathieu got Ruscz to ground out to short to end the fifth inning, but the Jumbo slugger finished 2 for 3 with four rbis and two runs.
O'Connor made her collegiate debut for the Jumbos and was perfect in the sixth and seventh innings.
Tufts plays seventh-ranked Linfield later on Saturday. Plymouth also has another game on Saturday against Wesfield State.
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