In a season defined by up−and−down play, the softball team has been in search of a spark. Coming off a gut−wrenching loss to Springfield College in their home opener on Wednesday, followed by a narrow victory over Williams on Thursday, the team knew it had a lot to prove heading into this past weekend's three−game series against Bates College, one of the perennially weaker sides in the NESCAC East.
With much hanging in the balance as the teams opened conference play, the Jumbos rose to the occasion, sweeping the series in convincing fashion and sending the Bobcats home in disarray.
After two−and−a−half innings of play in the first game of the series on Saturday, the Bobcats held a commanding 5−1 advantage. With sophomore starting pitcher Aly Moskowitz struggling in the circle, Bates looked poised for victory while the Jumbos looked on their way to an opening loss in NESCAC East play.
But in the bottom of the third inning, the Jumbos' bats came to life. After senior Kristen Finn recorded the first out of the inning for the Bobcats, the Jumbos strung together four consecutive hits, including a two−run double by first−year outfielder Sarah Hedtler.
Then, with two on and two out, a pop−up fell between Bates' junior first baseman Monica Berube and freshman second baseman Alayna Garbarino, plating two Jumbos, tying the game at five and drastically shifting the momentum.
"That inning definitely boosted our confidence," senior pitcher Izzie Santone said. "It wasn't that we didn't believe in ourselves before we came back to tie the game, but actually doing it, I think, reminded us just how good we really are."
The Jumbos orchestrated yet another four−spot in the fifth inning. Freshman infielder Chrissie Massrey capped off the offensive explosion with a two−out, two−run single that gave the Jumbos a 9−5 cushion. Meanwhile, freshman pitcher Lauren Giglio tamed the Bobcats with 3 2/3 innings of shutout ball before getting into a jam in the seventh, allowing Bates to score two runs and load the bases with nobody out.
However, sophomore Rebecca DiBiase came on and managed to close the door, retiring the Bobcats in order, earning the save and securing the 9−7 victory for the Jumbos.
Moskowitz, who struggled in her fourth start of the year, was charged with five earned runs on six hits over her 2 1/3 innings of work.
After an inspired performance on Saturday, the Jumbos looked to carry their newfound confidence into Sunday's double−header. The Jumbos did not trail the entire afternoon, and in game one they took advantage of a three−run first inning and a five−spot in the fifth to catapult to a 9−3 win.
The second game of the afternoon finished much like the first. The Jumbos rode a four−hit, five−inning shutout performance from DiBiase en route to an 8−0, mercy rule walk−off victory in five innings. Once again, Tufts made use of one big inning to secure the victory, though this time the bats waited until the fourth to do the damage.
Tufts sent nine batters to the plate and scored five runs in the frame that was highlighted by a three−run blast to left field off the bat of freshman catcher Jo Clair. The long ball was Clair's third of the afternoon and brought her season total up to nine.
Clair's numbers on Sunday were remarkable, as she went 5−for−6 and produced seven RBIs. Junior first baseman Lena Cantone also did her part, going 5−for−7 on the day with five singles and three runs scored.
DiBiase had good velocity and mixed in her change−up well in a stellar weekend, striking out eight and walking five in 15 innings without allowing an earned run.
The team improved to 11−8 overall, but more importantly is now undefeated (3−0) in the NESCAC East. The question remains whether the Jumbos will continue to stay hot or, in a season characterized by fluctuations, regress into another slump. Their next test comes today with a double−header at Wellesley, and coach Cheryl Milligan is confident the team is heading in the right direction.
"We're playing really sound softball right now," Milligan said. "We're doing all the little things rights, we're not making errors and we're taking good at−bats. We need to keep this up moving forward."
