Samantha Kuhles, Softball
Last Thursday, in Tufts' 14-0 blasting of host Bridgewater State College, senior quad-captain and third baseman Samantha Kuhles smashed a three-run home run in a nine-run fourth inning that broke open the game. More importantly, however, Kuhles' bomb broke the Jumbos' all-time hits record, set in 1997, of 175.
This weekend, in a three-game sweep of Trinity which improved Tufts' record to 21-0, Kuhles had three hits to go along with a pair of RBIs and three runs scored. After missing six games due to a hamstring injury, Kuhles returned in fine fashion to shatter the record, going 2-for-3 with four RBIs in the game against Bridgewater.
Kuhles is currently 10 runs away from the all-time Tufts record, also set in 1997. Teammate and classmate Danielle Lopez, who broke the Jumbos' RBI and doubles record this season, is four runs ahead of Kuhles in that race.
In 15 games thus far this season, Kuhles has posted a .340 average to go along with 15 runs and a .352 on-base percentage. Additionally, she has been perfect on the basepaths, stealing all eight bases she has attempted.
Billy Hale, Men's Track and Field
Junior mid-distance runner Billy Hale paced the men's track and field squad, helping the team turn out a second-place finish at the Stonehill-hosted Skyhawk Invitational on Saturday.
Hale earned first place in the 800-meter dash with a 1:59.32 time, one of only two first-place showings for Tufts, outstretching three Boston College runners for the top spot. Hale also ran the second portion of the 4x400-meter relay event, teaming with freshmen Connor Rose and Ben Crastnopol and senior quad-captain Skip Pagel to help the Jumbos to a 3:47.56 mark and a fourth-place finish amid subpar weather conditions that slowed the field.
Hale's commendable results at the Skyhawk Invite came on the heels of an impressive showing at the Snowflake Classic, the team's first meet of the spring season. Hale posted a solid fourth-place time of 4:05.30 in the 1,500-meter race, trailing junior teammate Jesse Faller, who won the event with a 3:59.86 time. That meet was the first since Hale's performance at indoor Nationals, where he earned All-American honors by placing third in the distance medley relay along with teammates Faller, junior Scott Brinkman and senior Phil Rotella.
