The late Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi famously said that winning is a habit. Good teams don't just beat their opponents but also go into every game expecting to do so. In essence, they forget how to lose.
At the moment, it looks like the softball team has reached that point. Winners of five in a row, the Jumbos have seen their overall record climb to 16-3, and 3-0 in NESCAC play.
Tufts' most recent victories came on Wednesday afternoon, when the Jumbos swept a doubleheader against the Babson Beavers at Spicer Field. Strong performances from several rookies helped the Jumbos claim both games.
Freshman pitcher Allyson Fournier dominated in the first game, hurling a complete-game shutout while recording a mind-boggling 17 strikeouts. In her short career, Fournier has made a habit of embarrassing opposing lineups. The Beavers, who were unable to advance a runner past second base in the opening game, managed just four hits against the first-year pitcher, who improved to a team-best 8-0 on the year.
"Allyson has definitely exceeded expectations," sophomore catcher Jo Clair said. "But we knew she was going to be good, so there is still a lot for her to accomplish moving forward."
The Jumbos would plate the only run they needed in the third inning on a two-out RBI single from Clair, and sophomore first baseman Chrissie Massrey gave them an insurance run in the sixth inning on an RBI single. Babson junior Megan Brain, who did a good job holding the Jumbos' lineup at bay, took the loss despite throwing six innings and allowing just two runs. Unfortunately for Brain, her counterpart was on a different level.
While the first game was a classic pitcher's duel, the second quickly turned into a slugfest. Babson grabbed a third-inning lead on a three-run homer by junior shortstop Catie Funk, but the Beavers' advantage did not last long. The Jumbos, who have rarely trailed this season, exploded for seven runs on seven hits in the home half of the inning, taking control of the contest for good. Junior second baseman Emily Beinecke, senior center fielder Lizzy Iuppa and Massrey each contributed run-scoring singles in the frame.
But Babson would not go away easily, tacking on two more runs in the top half of the fourth to cut the deficit to 7-5. Unfortunately for the Beavers, though, the Jumbos' offense was too much to handle. In the bottom of the fourth, freshman outfielder Michelle Cooprider launched her first collegiate homerun, a three-run shot to give the Jumbos an 11-5 lead, which would turn out to be the game's final score.
"Our freshmen have contributed to some of our biggest wins this year," senior first baseman Lena Cantone said. "They've all stepped up and added to our depth."
Sophomore left fielder Sara Hedtler also had a great game in the leadoff spot, going 4-for-4 with an RBI.
While the Jumbos' pitching was not as sharp as in game one, it was still effective. Sophomore Lauren Giglio and junior Rebecca DiBiase combined to hold the Beavers to five runs. DiBiase, who allowed all five of the Babson runs, picked up the victory and improved to 6-2 after throwing just 3 1/3 innings. Giglio earned her first save of the year.
With two more wins under their belts, the Jumbos will now turn the page to this weekend's three-game series against conference opponent Trinity. The 8-6 Bantams enter the series as winners of their last two games and have a 2-1 NESCAC East record.
"It's going to be important for us to keep the same intensity in every game regardless of who we play," Cantone said. "We want to go into every game expecting to win, but that doesn't mean we can take any opponent lightly, because we know we are going to get their best game."
