Box Score BRUNSWICK, Maine – Senior captain Marisa O'Toole posted the game-winning RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the sixth for the Bowdoin College softball team during a 4-3 series-opening victory over Tufts University on Saturday afternoon in Brunswick, Maine.
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| Cassie Ruscz went 2-for-4 and knocked in a run for the Jumbos. |
The Polar Bears (24-6, 6-1 in NESCAC East Division), who are currently in first place in the East Division, did all their damage in the sixth frame with two outs, as senior captain and pitcher Emily Griffin clocked a double to left-center. O'Toole then showcased her magic with the game knotted at 3-3, knocking an RBI single, allowing Griffin to round third base and score the game-winning run.
Griffin (10-2) did it all for the hosts on Saturday, earning a complete-game victory on the mound. She gave up seven hits and three runs, while striking out seven and walking two. She also helped herself on the offensive end, going 2-for-4 at the plate.
Senior captain Cassie Ruscz was strong in the batter's box for the Jumbos (16-12, 4-4 in East Division), going 2-for-4, with two singles and an RBI. The Jumbos, who currently sit in third place in the East Division, also received a two-hit performance from senior first baseman Summer Horowitz (double, single).
The first inning started out well for the Jumbos, as junior second baseman Samantha Siciliano led off with a walk, and then senior right fielder Maggie Hoffman drove a single to left field. Ruscz entering the box with runners on base is always a positive for the Jumbos, and she did not disappoint, driving an RBI single to center, scoring Siciliano from second.
Sophomore Amolee Hawkins, who pinch ran for Ruscz, was thrown out at second by junior catcher Claire McCarthy, but Hoffman, who was at third, bolted for home on the throw with a heads-up play, giving the Jumbos a 2-0 lead.
Junior pitcher Raina Galbiati kept the Bears' bats quiet early, posting a 1-2-3 first inning on the hill and only relinquishing one hit in the opening two frames. Sophomore Caroline Rice evened up the score at 2-2, with one swing in the third, scoring junior Ali Miller and O'Toole on a two-run single to left with two outs.
The Jumbos regained the lead in the fourth, as Horowitz clocked a one-out double to right, and then freshman Maria Ostapovich was called upon for pinch-running duties. The next at-bat, freshman left fielder Emily Serata slammed a double down the left-field line, scoring Ostapovich and giving the visitors a 3-2 advantage.
It did not take long for the Bears to even the game up again, with junior Jordan Gowdy connecting on an RBI double to left in the bottom of the frame, scoring sophomore Samantha Valdivia from second with the equalizer. Valdivia led off the inning with a single through the left side, and then was proactive on the base path, stealing second.
Griffin kept the Jumbos off the board in the fifth, and freshman hurler Gillian O'Connor kept the hosts scoreless in the bottom of the frame, setting the stage for the Bears' heroics in the sixth.
Galbiati pitched the first three innings for the Jumbos, giving up five hits and three runs, while walking three and striking out two. O'Connor (6-4) was tagged with the loss, pitching the final three frames, giving up four hits and one run.
The Jumbos will look to get some redemption on Sunday with a doubleheader against the Bears, starting at noon in Brunswick, Maine.
Written by Trevor Wenners, Athletic Communications Intern
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