The defense was good. The pitching was great. The offense just wasn't there.
This weekend the softball team, staking claim to the NESCAC's most potent offense, was shut down by opposing pitching as it was knocked out of the double elimination NESCAC playoffs with two straight losses, first 1-0 to the Williams College Ephs, then 2-0 to the Middlebury Panthers in an elimination game.
"We played really well all weekend," senior tri-captain Maggie McClory said. "We had great pitching from [sophomore] Julia [Brenta] and [junior] Caroline [Grieco], and our defense really came on strong, we just couldn't get it together offensively, which really hurt us as we didn't score any runs."
The loss ended the Jumbos season with a record of 16-16, including a 6-4 conference mark.
"We just couldn't find the bats in both games," McClory added. "It's a little disappointing because we've been struggling with hitting all year. We couldn't string hits together so we never could get a whole offensive push going."
The first game, on Friday afternoon against the archrival Ephs, featured a pitchers duel between sophomore pitchers Tufts' Brenta and Clara Hard of Williams. The two matched each other pitch for pitch through the first five innings, each allowing only one hit and no runs.
Despite just one hit, the team began its offensive charge early on, in the top of the first inning. Sophomore left fielder Laura Spring was hit by a pitch and senior tri-captain Julie Fox reached base on a fielder's choice, with Spring advancing to second. Both runners then stole bases, giving the Jumbos second and third with one out.
But Hard settled down after that and struck out the next two Jumbos to quell the threat.
In the bottom of the sixth, Williams manufactured a run with speedy freshman Cathleen Clark. Clark beat out an infield single to lead off the inning. She stole second and was advanced to third on a grounder in the infield. Junior Liz Gluck then laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to score Clark and give Hard and the Ephs all they would need.
The sophomore pitcher then retired the Jumbos 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to end the game. Brenta ended the contest having pitched six strong innings, allowing two hits and one run, striking out two and walking one. Hard pitched seven strong, earning the shutout after allowing just one hit, striking out seven and walking one.
"Clara Hard is one of the best pitchers in the NESCAC and she pitched very well," McClory said.
With the loss, the team came out in a must-win game against the Middlebury Panthers on Saturday morning. The winner stays alive, the loser goes home.
Once again, however, the Jumbos offense was unable to get into a rhythm and was shut down by Panther pitchers Lauren Bowe and Jennifer Williams. Bowe started the game and pitched five strong innings, allowing four hits without surrendering a walk.
Williams relieved her from her post at second base, pitching the last two innings without giving up a hit or a walk and striking out two.
"We had never seen [Bowe] before," McClory said. "She was okay, but we could have done a little better against her."
Jumbo junior pitcher Caroline Grieco also had a strong day on the mound, allowing just two runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out one.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Panthers got two runners on base for freshman second baseman Maura Casey. Casey, hitting in the No. 8 slot, came out with the game's most important hit, a double that scored both Middlebury runners.
As a team, Tufts earned only five hits in two games, and failed to produce two hits in an inning.
Despite the early departure from the NESCAC tournament McClory still feels that the season was a success overall.
"We struggled at the beginning of the season, and it was great to come back and string together nine really great wins," McClory said. "Come back over .500, which was one of our goals, even making NESCAC's was an achievement because a lot of people were counting us out. Overall the season was a success, especially looking at where we were at the beginning."
