The Jumbos picked up a pair of weekly NESCAC awards yesterday, courtesy of women's lacrosse freshman Amanda Roberts, softball sophomore Stefanie Tong and freshman Pat O'Donnell in baseball.
Roberts took home Player of the Week after she was instrumental in a 2-0 week for coach Carol Rappoli's squad, featuring wins over Bridgewater State and Colby. The first-year midfielder was all over the field in the two wins, tallying four goals and two assists in the 19-6 win over Bridgewater State before posting a career-high six goals in a come-from-behind 15-14 win over the Mules.
Roberts scored the game-tying goal in that contest with just over two minutes left on a free-position shot to help set the stage for sophomore Jenna Abelli's game-winner. The freshman contributed in more areas than on the scoreboard, also adding seven ground balls and four draw controls over the two-game span. Roberts' recent run of dynamic play has her leading Tufts with 24 points.
Tong garnered Pitcher of the Week after going 3-0 with a 1.12 earned run average for the Jumbos in week that saw the team post a 6-0 mark. Tong saw plenty of work for Tufts as the Jumbos had four games over the weekend after a doubleheader Thursday afternoon. The sophomore started the back end of the double-dip Thursday with Bridgewater State and yielded just four hits and one run en route to a complete-game effort.
She then took the mound as a reliever in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday against Bowdoin, quieting the Polar Bears' bats to the tune of five shutout innings in relief. The next morning, Tong once again stymied the opposition, allowing just three runs over 6.2 innings. Overall, she pitched 18 innings and added 13 strikeouts to bring her record to 4-0 on the season as Tufts enjoyed its best week of the spring to date.
O'Donnell was also named a NESCAC Pitcher of the Week in baseball. The freshman has emerged as the third starter in the Jumbos rotation and delivered one of the most impressive pitching performance of the season to date on Sunday. O'Donnell let up only two hits in a complete game, nine-inning 2-1 victory over Williams.
The Ephs could not solve the Worcester native for most of the game, as he retired the first 13 batters before letting up a one out single in the fifth. O'Donnell added seven strikeouts while walking only two and giving up one unearned run. Only one Williams player reached third base on the day.
The win pushed O'Donnell's record to 3-0 on the season with a 1.27 earned run average. In five appearances he has scattered just 21 hits and allowed only four earned runs. The victory helped Tufts sweep the Ephs to run their winning streak to five games and their record to 11-6 on the season.
