One of the hallmarks of a good team is the ability to win games that are supposed to be won. This weekend, the softball team did just that, outscoring a last-place Bates squad 32-2 in three games.
After playing one game on Friday, Tufts spent Friday night at Bates, and looked refreshed and energized for Saturday's doubleheader. Senior Lauren Giglio took the mound for the visitors in the first game, allowing just one earned run in five innings and striking out 11 batters to improve to 11-1 on the year.
But the Jumbo's offense was the main story in this game. Senior co-captain catcher Jo Clair, junior second baseman Gracie Marshall and freshman first baseman Cassie Ruscz each went deep, as Tufts put up double-digit scoring totals in both games and won each contest in five innings. After winning the opener 10-1, the Jumbos scored five times in the opening frame of game two, followed by a three-run second inning. Marshall tallied five RBIs, including a three-run homer, while Clair, Ruscz and sophomore shortstop Christina Raso combined for six hits and six RBIs. In its last five games dating back to last Thursday, Tufts has scored 46 runs and outscored its opponents 46-6.
"Our offense really is getting into a groove," junior infielder Bri Keenan said. "We got a lot of younger players in (the game), and they performed well, so that was also nice to see."
Junior Allyson Fournier started the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, but came out after just two innings when the Jumbos pulled away. Sophomore Erica County performed nicely in relief, tossing three scoreless innings to maintain the shutout. With three more strikeouts on the day, Fournier increased her season strikeout total to a NESCAC-best 167, and her ERA now stands at a measly 0.41.
The Jumbos took on the Bobcats for just one game the night before. On the mound, Fournier maintained a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Bates freshman second baseman Abigail Abbott broke up Fournier's no-hit bid with a single in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sophomore shortstop Karen Lockhart then followed up with a double to drive in the Bobcats' only run of the game.
Tufts jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning and tacked on one in the third, three in the fifth and three more in the seventh to secure a 9-1 victory. Senior co-captain outfielder Sara Hedtler went 3-for-5 and scored three runs, while Marshall and Ruscz had a pair of hits and two RBIs each.
"We just hadn't hit our stride yet, but now I think the offense is finally settling in, and we're more comfortable at the plate," Clair said. "We've gotten the beginning of the season struggles out, and everyone is just going up there doing what they're capable of. I think we just needed to settle in."
The Jumbos' three-game sweep extends their current winning streak to 12 games and their NESCAC East winning streak to 33 games, dating back to the 2011 season.
On Thursday, a perfect game from Fournier propelled the team to a doubleheader sweep of Bridgewater State at home. Bridgewater State entered Thursday's doubleheader as winners of seven of its last eight games. But whatever momentum the Bears had coming in to the day was silenced when Fournier took the mound. The two-time All-American struck out 15 batters en route to a perfect outing. The effort also marked her seventh shutout of the season and ninth no-hitter of her career.
"A perfect game is always surprising, but then again I'm not surprised by anything Allyson (Fournier) does when she goes out there," Clair said. "She's a true competitor, and if you know Allyson and the kind of person and pitcher she is, you know she's going to compete every time she takes the mound against every batter."
The Jumbos didn't manage much offense in the first game, but the two runs they scored were more than enough support for Fournier. A single by Keenan brought home the game's first run in the fourth inning. Junior outfielder Michelle Cooprider scored in the fifth on a poor throw by the Bridgewater State first baseman, after leading off the inning with a single.
Fournier's bid for perfection was threatened only in the fourth inning, when Bears senior catcher Jill Welch hit a low liner to left field that looked like it had a chance to drop. Hedtler got a nice jump on the ball and made a great running catch to preserve the perfect game. Other than that, Bridgewater State seldom made contact, and when they did, the ball did not leave the infield.
"A perfect game is a pretty remarkable feat," Keenan said. "It's definitely something we've come to expect out of Allyson. She's been able to rely less on the rise ball, and really command her other pitches, which I think has made her even tougher for opponents."
Tufts left little room for doubt in the nightcap of Thursday's doubleheader, jumping out to a 10-1 lead through three innings. Clair had a pair of doubles and scored three times in the first three innings, while Marshall went 3-for-3 with three RBIs in that span. Tufts would eventually secure the game in mercy-rule fashion when freshman third baseman Shelby Lipson hit her first collegiate homerun in the sixth inning, a two-run shot that gave Tufts a 12-4 victory.12
