Power outburst from Clair propels softball to sweep
Led by three home runs from freshman catcher Jo Clair, the women's softball team opened its conference slate with a three-game sweep of Bates this weekend.
Clair, who finished the weekend with nine home runs on the season, showed off her power during Sunday's doubleheader, going 5-for-6 with three home runs and seven RBIs. In the early game, Clair hit a two-run blast in the bottom of the fifth with the Jumbos only ahead 4-2. The Bobcats could not recover and fell 9-3.
In Sunday's second game, sophomore Rebecca DiBiase was locked in a pitcher's duel with Bates sophomore Caroline Gattuso, with the Jumbos earning a one-run lead on another Clair slam. But in the bottom of the fourth, Tufts exploded for five runs, including a three-run shot from Clair. DiBiase continued to shut the door on the Bobcats, and the Jumbos added two more in the bottom of the fifth to earn a mercy-rule victory.
Saturday was the toughest game of the weekend for the Jumbos, who found themselves down 5-1 after two and a half innings. But Tufts scored the next eight runs, putting together four-run rallies in both the third and fifth innings. Bates looked to rally in the seventh, plating two runs and loading the bases, but DiBiase entered the game and took care of three straight hitters, sealing a 9-7 win.
No. 5 women's tennis continues to roll
The freshly ranked No. 5 women's tennis team lived up to its new spot this weekend, thrashing Colby 9-0 Saturday while not dropping a set in singles play, then dominating both No. 18 The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and No. 30 Brandeis Sunday at the Wellesley Invitational.
Senior Julia Browne, the No. 1-ranked singles player in the country, teamed up with freshman Shelci Bowman at first doubles for a dominant 8-1 victory and then took her singles match 6-0, 6-1. Freshman Sam Gann was also dominant at fifth singles, winning 6-0, 6-2.
The Jumbos looked almost as dominant Sunday, defeating TCNJ in straight matches 5-0 and following it up with an 8-1 victory over Brandeis. With the three wins, Tufts improves to 6-1 on the spring and 1-0 in the NESCAC. The squad hosts No. 12 Bowdoin Friday before traveling to Trinity Saturday.
Walk-off from Rose seals baseball's sweep of Bates
Senior right fielder Chase Rose hit a walk-off single with the game tied to plate senior second baseman Frank Petroskey and gave the baseball team a 3-2 win and a three-game sweep over visiting Bates this weekend.
After senior starter Derek Miller gave up two runs in the opening frame to the Bobcats, he settled down before giving way to freshman Christian Sbily and junior Jake Crawford, who closed the door on Bates' chances at stealing the series' third game. Junior Matt Collins hit his second home run of the week to cut the Bobcats' lead in half, and Tufts tied things up in the seventh.
On Friday, junior Kevin Gilchrist pitched a complete-game shutout to give the Jumbos a 5-0 win in Tufts' NESCAC-opener. He struck out six, walked none and scattered 10 hits over nine innings of work. Collins went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and Petroskey went 3-for 4. Junior left fielder Ian Goldberg added two RBIs as Tufts broke open a scoreless game with a four-run fourth.
For more details on the weekend series, including an in-depth look at Gilchrist's gem, see tomorrow's Daily for full coverage.
Men's tennis comes back to reality with loss to Bowdoin
After starting its NESCAC schedule with a dominant 9-0 win over Conn. College on Thursday, the men's tennis team was convincingly beaten yesterday by No. 14 Bowdoin, 8-1. Senior Tony Carucci earned the only win against the Polar Bears at the No. 6 singles spot, but Bowdoin was in control for much of singles play. Sophomore Andrew Lutz, playing at first singles, gave Bowdoin senior Stephen Sullivan, the nation's 15th-ranked player, two tough sets, falling 6-4, 6-2.
Tufts has the week off before heading to No. 20 MIT on April 13.
—by The Daily Sports Department
