The softball team has done nearly everything this season. They have played 25 games spanning from Massachusetts to Florida. They have faced teams from as close as Brandeis and from as far away as Minnesota. They have gone into extra innings on four different occasions and mercy-ruled teams on three others.
But what they haven't done is play more than one NESCAC series.
That will change today when Tufts heads to Brunswick, Maine for a three-game set with NESCAC East rival Bowdoin. The series holds major implications for the conference playoffs: A sweep by the Jumbos would all but clinch them a spot while being swept would leave them in danger of missing the NESCAC championships for the first time ever.
"I feel like we come out with a lot of intensity when we go up against NESCAC teams," sophomore pitcher Rebecca DiBiase said. "We know its kind of do or die at this point in the NESCAC; we can't really afford to give up any losses. But we know that any NESCAC team can come out and win on any day."
Luckily for the Jumbos, history falls strongly in their favor. Since 2004, the Jumbos have dominated the Polar Bears, 15-1. But Bowdoin is undoubtedly one of the up-and-coming teams of NESCAC softball and took the first game in last year's series against Tufts. The Polar Bears are currently riding a seven-game winning streak and look to be a team hitting its stride.
On the other hand, Tufts is on a three-game skid that they will need to turn around quickly this weekend. The team's biggest focus will be on the first inning, in which they have conceded runs in each of the past four games while being outscored 12-6. A strong start from the Jumbos could immediately shift the momentum.
"It's been a lot about the first inning these last few games," sophomore second baseman Emily Beinecke said. "Either defensively we come out a little bit flat or offensively we come out a little bit flat, and I think we need to put the two together and go all out and set the tone for these games."
A strong Tufts start will be made more challenging by a Bowdoin pitching staff that includes three pitchers with sub-2 ERAs. The group is led by senior co-captain Kara Nilan, who has thrown 11 complete games while accumulating a 1.25 ERA. Tufts saw Nilan last season and tagged her for five runs on eight hits in six innings in a 5-1 victory.
The Jumbos will also likely face first-year Melissa DellaToure, an unfamiliar foe who could cause them problems. DellaToure has an impressive 1.82 ERA and will not be easily fazed, having already started twice in NESCAC play.
The Jumbos will counter with an equally deep staff led by senior co-captain Izzie Santone and DiBiase. Santone rarely makes mistakes on the mound, holding opposing hitters to just a .245 average while only walking 10 in 55 innings. She caught some rough breaks early in the year but now boasts a strong 7-2 with a 2.45 ERA.
DiBiase has been consistent for the team all year and has an ERA just under 3.00. But against a strong Polar Bears lineup led by Nilan — who is hitting .374 — she knows there is little room for error.
"It's just a matter of making sure that I hit my spots and having my pitches varying and working," DiBiase said. "They definitely have a good lineup so it will be one of the more challenging games."
In a low-scoring series, creating runs may be the key to victory. Tufts is well equipped to do so with three of the league's best base stealers in juniors Lizzy Iuppa (14-of-14), Lena Cantone (8-of-9) and Mira Lieman-Sifry (10-of-14). All three own on-base percentages well above .400, making them continuous scoring threats.
"We have been working on bunt-and-runs and hit-and-runs a lot," Beinecke said. "It's a lot about the execution. If we execute, we can definitely be successful."
The Jumbos benefited from a rainout on Wednesday that has given them a four-day break, their second-longest break between contests this season. The team has been practicing intensely, taking the opportunity to hone their game.
"It was nice to get to go inside and bang out a lot of repetitions on specifics," DiBiase said. "We had a very personalized practice [Tuesday] where each person was getting what they really needed to focus on. It was also good to not have the mental and emotional stress of the games [on Wednesday]."
The series kicks off this afternoon at 4 p.m. with a doubleheader tomorrow at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
