The softball team began its season with a rocky trip to the West Coast over spring break. After winning their first four games, the Jumbos dropped five of their next eight, including two tough losses to national powerhouses Cal Baptist and St. Thomas.
Tufts ended the trip on a high note with a 5-2 victory over Hamline in its most recent game on Saturday. Trailing 1-0 after the first frame, Tufts immediately went to work on Hamline senior pitcher Jessalyn Weaver. The Jumbos led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and senior co-captain Casey Sullivan stepped to the plate with two on and none out. She made the most of the opportunity, slamming a three-run home run and giving the Jumbos a 3-1 lead.
In the circle, freshman Aly Moskowitz gave up one more run in the second before handing the ball over to junior Izzie Santone with a 3-2 lead. Santone, who posted a 21-1 record with a 1.13 ERA last season, was lights out the rest of the way, giving up only two hits in five shutout innings. The Jumbos added two more runs in the fifth on a two-out, two-run double by senior co-captain Christy Tinker and cruised to a 5-2 victory.
"It was important to leave [California] on a positive note," Sullivan said.
Earlier in the day, Tufts struggled to handle St. Thomas' senior pitcher Marta Radcliffe. The Tommies jumped out early on freshman pitcher Rebecca DiBiase, as a pair of one-out hits in the first inning led to two early runs after a groundout and a single brought both runners home.
The Jumbos' best scoring chance came in the fourth inning, when singles by Tinker and freshman Emily Beinecke left runners on the corners with one out. But Radcliffe weaved out of the inning unscathed by inducing a pop fly followed by a groundout.
While DiBiase settled down after the first, allowing only one more run for the rest of the game, the damage had already been done. Radcliffe completed a five-hit shutout, not allowing a single walk, and St. Thomas took the game 3-0.
The Jumbos began the week by taking their first four contests, outscoring the opposition 36-10. Sullivan was at the heart of the offense, scoring eight total runs while ripping two doubles, two triples and a home run. Beinecke also got off to a fast start, and her three-run double, the difference in Tufts' opening day 5-3 victory over La Sierra, contributed to earning her the first NESCAC Player of the Week honors.
"It felt great to come out and win our first four games," Sullivan said. "Our team has a lot of potential this year, and I think that we showed that offensively in those games."
The low point of the trip occurred during a break from the Sun West Tournament, when the squad headed to Claremont, Calif. The Jumbos dropped both games of a doubleheader, losing to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 2-0 and then to Redlands 6-1. Both teams had already played almost 20 games, and the difference in in-game action showed.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps had two pitchers combine for a three-hit shutout, making the most of two first-inning runs given up by senior Stefanie Tong. Redlands, on the other hand, belted its way to a win. Deep into a 1-1 game, the Bulldogs figured out Santone, exploding for five runs on seven hits in the bottom of the sixth.
"It was great for us to see some great pitching, since doing well against it will be a key for us to make it out of Regionals again," Tong said. "We were definitely getting on base, but we weren't able to string together a series of hits."
While the Jumbos roster has experienced turnover, their offense looks just as strong as ever. Beinecke leads the team with a .483 batting average, an impressive feat for any player, let alone one playing her first collegiate year.
"Emily has been great," Tong said. "She walked through the doors as a freshman and not only is she a good hitter, but she also picks the right pitches to hit. She has also been doing well on the field, and has really filled the hole left by the seniors. I think she is going to be a great contributor to the team."
Tong, who last year as a pitcher had nine appearances in the circle and zero at bats, and Sullivan are hitting well above .400 as well. Sullivan leads the team with 16 hits, a pair of home runs, and a slugging percentage of .795, while Tinker has knocked in 14.
"There were definitely a lot of positives to come away from this week with," Sullivan said. "We are a young team, but we showed in a few spots how much offensive potential we have."
However, Tufts has struggled to find consistency with its pitching. The Jumbos have used five different pitchers and have a team ERA of 3.86. Moskowitz has been a high point in her four appearances, boasting a 2-0 record with a 2.39 ERA. But if the Jumbos hope to succeed, the overall depth pitching will need to improve.
Tufts will get its first chance to do just that tomorrow in its home opener, a doubleheader against Babson. The Beavers come in at 8-8 and the game serves as an opportunity for the Jumbos to get settled in before conference play.
"We had a lot to learn from our spring training trip," Tong said. "I think we realized some of the things we really need to work on. It's nice to be back home and be able to practice on the same field we are going to be playing on. We will definitely be looking to improve before Tuesday."
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This article originally incorrectly stated that Izzie Santone is a sophomore as opposed to a junior. This mistake was corrected on March 30, 2010.
