Box Score CLERMONT, Fla. - Sophomores Gillian O'Connor and Allison Tilton combined on a six-hit shutout as the Tufts University softball team defeated Allegheny College 6-0 on Monday.
After taking their first loss of the season to Hope College earlier in the day, the Jumbos rebounded with the win and improved to 5-1 overall. Senior catcher Raven Fournier had three hits and three rbis to lead the offense. Senior DH Raina Galbiati also had three hits as Tufts finished with 12.
Allegheny, led by three hits from freshman RF Kelly Lafferty, dropped to 5-3. Junior Jessica Valerino had a 2 for 3 day at the plate for the Gators.
O'Connor (2-0) went five innings allowing all six hits and a walk with three strikeouts. She worked out of early trouble in the first when the Gators had runners on first and second with no outs. She got a pair of K's and a pop up to end the threat. In all she would leave six runners on base during her stretch. Tilton pitched a scoreless relief stint of two innings. She did not give up a hit and walked one.
The Jumbos scored an uneanred run in the third to get going. Senior 2B Samantha Siciliano reached on an error and scored on Fournier's single. Tufts built the margin to 4-0 with three in the fourth. Freshman Sofia Molina led off with a double and scored on a base hit by senior 3B Sara Willner-Giwerc. Later in the frame, Galbiati and Fournier hit back-to-back run-scoring singles. Tufts capped its scoring with two in the sixth. Siciliano singled, junior LF Kristen Caporelli walked, and then a wild pitch scored Siciliano and Fournier's third consecutive rbi single plated Caporelli.
Siciliano scored three times for Tufts in all.
Junior Kala Mahen was the losing pitcher for Allegheny, giving up 12 hits and five earned runs with four strikeouts in seven innings.
The Jumbos play two more on Tuesday with games against Hamilton from the NESCAC West Division at 2 p.m. and versus Hendrix College at 5:30 p.m. Allegheny has Centre and Wisconsin-Superior on its schedule for tomorrow.
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