The softball team extended its winning streak to nine straight games on Saturday afternoon, sweeping the Wesleyan Cardinals in a doubleheader, 4-2 and 12-3, in Middletown, Conn. With the wins, which were considered non-NESCAC, the Jumbos upped their overall record to 16-14 on the season, putting them above .500 for the first time since March 26. The loss dropped Wesleyan to 9-19 overall on the year.
Heading into the NESCAC playoffs next Friday afternoon against Williams College and former head coach Kris Herman, the Jumbos have picked the perfect time to peak and play their best softball.
"I feel like we've regained our confidence and have the feeling that we can't lose," senior tri-captain Deana Davidian said. "And that's important for going into the playoffs. We're really confident right now, and that's the way we felt all last season. It's good we have it back."
Junior Caroline Grieco went the distance in the first game on Saturday for her fifth win of the season. Grieco allowed eight hits -- seven of which were singles -- and two runs in seven innings, with three walks and two strikeouts.
Grieco started off a little shaky, allowing two runs and three hits in the first inning of play. However, she stranded two runners on base to end the inning, and settled down from there on out, letting the Jumbos bats go to work.
The offense was carried by sophomore Laura Spring and senior tri-captain Julie Fox. Spring was the only Jumbo to earn multiple hits, going 2-4 with a double, RBI, and runs scored. Fox chipped in with one hit in two at bats and two RBI's of her own.
Tufts tied the game in the third inning with two runs, and tacked on one more in each of the next two innings to make the score 4-2. Junior Courtney Bongiolatti led off the fourth with a triple and scored what would be the winning run on a passed ball.
The Tufts defense also played one of its best games of the season. The squad committed zero errors and made all the routine plays when necessary to help Grieco get out of jams and leave Cardinal runners stranded. In all, the Cardinals stranded eight batters in game one.
"Solid defense is absolutely key for us winning NESCACs," Bongiolatti said. "We struggled a bit, we've put it together and we're confident that everyone on the field can make the plays when the ball is hit to them."
Game two saw much of the same pitching and defensive prowess from the Jumbos as in game one. However, the Jumbos erupted for 12 runs and 20 hits. The offensive barrage was led by Fox, who went 4 for 4 with 3 doubles and four runs scored, junior first baseman Katie Smith, who went 3 for 4 with four RBIs, and Spring, who went 3 for 4 with two runs and an RBI. The offensive show was even more impressive because the teams only played five innings in game two, rather than the usual seven.
The Jumbos strung hits together all afternoon against the Cardinals, and erupted with two outs in the fifth, when the squad rattled off eight straight hits leading to five runs. Every Jumbo who stepped to the plate earned at least one hit, with seven of nine batters having multi-hit games.
"Everyone is hitting the ball better, whether against good pitching or not good pitching," Bongiolatti said. "We're more confident at the plate, and everyone's getting on base. We're not just getting a few big hits, people are getting on anyway they can, and everyone is doing their job."
Sophomore pitcher Sarah Conroy pitched the second complete game of the afternoon, going all five innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs, walking two and striking out one.
Once again, the Jumbos defense held strong and did not commit an error for the entire game, helping Conroy get out of a shaky third inning.
Next up for the Jumbos is Williams in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs away on Friday afternoon. Game time in Williamstown is set for 2:30 p.m.
"I think we feel like overall, we're just playing Tufts softball right now, which is a strong hitting team with great defense," Davidian said. "I feel like we're peaking at the right time right when we need to, and we're in a really good position going into tournament."
