Sports

Sports

Men's Lacrosse | Tufts' offense overpowers Colby in NESCAC quarterfinals

April 27

On Saturday, the men's lacrosse team defeated Colby 24-9 at home to notch a win in the first round of the NESCAC tournament. Junior attackmen Cole Bailey and Chris Schoenhut both had impressive stat lines, combining for 16 points, with five and seven goals respectively. The game was much more than a two-man effort, however, as a total of 13 Jumbos recorded points. Tufts entered Saturday riding a six-game winning streak to end the regular season, finishing with a 14-2 record, two wins better than the team's 11-4 record in 2013. The Mules struck first, scoring after just 34 seconds on a goal from freshman attackman Austin Sayre. The Jumbos quickly responded as Schoenhut and senior tri-captain Beau Wood each scored a goal apiece. Sayre scored again to tie the game at two with 12 minutes left in the first, but a goal from Bailey only one minute later gave Tufts a lead it would not relinquish. Bailey's goal sparked a surge from the Jumbos, as they finished the quarter on a 7-1 run. Tufts outshot Colby 22-11 in the quarter and scooped 10 more groundballs than its opponent. Schoenhut had four goals in the quarter, while both Bailey and Wood had two. Tufts continued to dominate through the second period, scoring the first five goals to increase its lead to 12. Two more Colby goals were followed by a goal from Bailey with only 27 seconds left in the half, giving Tufts a 16-5 lead heading into the intermission. Tufts controlled the first half in most respects, outshooting Colby 37-24 and committing six less turnovers. The Jumbos got off to a hot start again in the third quarter, scoring three more goals in the first seven minutes. Despite the large deficit, the Mules continued to battle back, scoring three goals of their own to end the third trailing by eight goals, 19-8. The Mules played their best in the third quarter, outshooting the Jumbos 18-10 and scooping five more groundballs than the home team. In the end, Colby was unable to handle Tufts, as the Jumbos scored five straight goals to start the fourth quarter and solidify its victory. Freshman midfielder Zach Richman scored two goals and fellow freshman attackman Austin Carbone scored a goal and recorded an assist. A goal from Colby with 50 seconds left in regulation ended the scoring, bringing the final tally to 24-9. With his seven goals, Schoenhut has a total of 66 on the season, which ties the Tufts record set in 2011 by current Tufts assistant coach Sean Kirwan (LA ‘12). Tufts' offense continues to be its calling card, as the team has scored 17 or more goals in each of its last seven games, and more than 20 goals eight times this season. Tufts remains the top-scoring offense in the nation with 18.71 goals per game. The Jumbos host the Williams Ephs on May 3 in the NESCAC semifinals, and will look to avenge a 15-8 loss earlier this season.

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Sports

Women's Track and Field | Williams ends Tufts' bid for second straight NESCAC title

April 27

The women's track and field team, which won the NESCAC Championships at home last year with a dominating 203-point victory over second-place Middlebury (117.50 points), was unable to repeat, as Williams outpaced the field Saturday with a crushing 179-point score. Tufts was second with 126 points, while Middlebury finished third with 109.5 points. While the rain at Colby College certainly played a role in many athletes' individual performances, the Jumbos were still able to have an impressive day all around, putting up a fight against Williams. Sophomore Alexis Harrison took third overall in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.44 seconds, falling just short of her season-best time of 12.29 seconds. Senior tri-captain Anya Kaufmann took fifth in the event, running a time of 12.60 seconds to add four more points to the Jumbos' score. Kaufmann nabbed an eighth-place finish in the 200-meter dash (26.45 seconds) to add another point to the score. Senior Jana Hieber added 20 points to the Jumbos’ total score with two individual NESCAC titles including wins in the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles. Her dominating time of 1:02:70 in the 400-meter hurdles was over a second faster than the second-place time. The Jumbos were also victorious in the 4x100-meter relay, as junior Christina Harvey, Kaufmann, freshman Bianca Rescalvo and Harrison teamed up to break the meet record with a time of 48.06 seconds. The previous meet record was set last year by Harvey, Kaufmann, Harrison and Samantha Bissonnette (LA '13) in 48.27 seconds. "The 4x100 [relay] really got people psyched for the rest of the day," sophomore Sydney Smith said. "It pumped us up and made us hungrier for points." Tufts also fared well in the distance events. In a fast 800-meter race, Smith and junior Lauren Gormer both placed in the top eight. The race was extremely tight, with first and fifth place separated only by 1.5 seconds. Smith came in fifth with a new personal record of 2:15.99, while Gormer placed seventh with a season-best time of 2:17.04. In the 5,000, sophomore Audrey Gould ran out to the front from the gun and never looked back. Following a 5:30 first mile, Gould was able to take the NESCAC title with her time of 17:30.26, finishing more than six seconds ahead of the next closest runner. The Jumbos also saw points scored in the 10,000, as senior Abby Barker placed fifth, running a time of 36:57.44, while senior Lauren Creath took eighth with a time of 37:36.12. In a similar fashion, senior tri-captain Laura Peterson and sophomore Olivia Beltrani also finished in the top eight in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Peterson took fifth, running a time of 11:21.11 in the competition, while Beltrani took eighth in a new personal record of 11:33.54. "I wanted to go out hard in the steeplechase to avoid racing with the pack over the water jumps, and after that, I just wanted to hang on," Peterson said. Although Tufts was not as dominant in the field as it was last year, the team still competed at a high level. Hieber took second in the long jump with her leap of 17' 8", while Harrison and Kaufmann finished sixth and eighth, respectively. Tufts also received three top-eight finishes in the shot-put as senior Robin Armstrong took fifth with a throw of 36' 3 1/2", Hieber took seventh with a toss of 35' 8 1/2" and freshman Bailey Conner made her mark with an impressive throw of 35' 5 1/4" to place eighth. Armstrong later placed fifth in the hammer throw with a heave of 142' 5", and sixth in the javelin with her throw of 124' 10". Senior Kristen Roberts and sophomore Paige Roberts also contributed to the point total as well in the high jump, as Kristen Roberts took fifth with a mark of 4' 11 3/4", while Paige Roberts tied for sixth, achieving the same height, but with an additional attempt. "Williams was an incredibly talented team that was going to be very difficult to top," Smith said. "We had a lot of great performances, but we also had a few areas where we fell short of what we were hoping to achieve." Williams has won the NESCAC title 13 times since 2001, but Peterson still believes that Tufts can catch the reigning champs next year. "We may be losing a lot of seniors and Williams is an incredible program, but I think if the underclassmen continue to improve and keep doing what they are doing, then we could beat Williams," she said. "We also need to be able to capitalize on [Williams'] mistakes." Though the most important part of the season is over, Smith said that the team still has more work to do. "Our team focus moving forward will be on chasing a few school records, improving personal performances and hopefully qualifying plenty of people for Nationals," she said. "We will be looking for a solid finish at the Div. III New England meet next weekend [at Springfield College], but we most likely won't have our full squad due to finals."

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Sports

Women's Track and Field | Williams ends Tufts' bid for second straight NESCAC title

April 27

The women's track and field team, which won the NESCAC Championships at home last year with a dominating 203-point victory over second-place Middlebury (117.50 points), was unable to repeat, as Williams outpaced the field Saturday with a crushing 179-point score. Tufts was second with 126 points, while Middlebury finished third with 109.5 points. While the rain at Colby College certainly played a role in many athletes' individual performances, the Jumbos were still able to have an impressive day all around, putting up a fight against Williams. Sophomore Alexis Harrison took third overall in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.44 seconds, falling just short of her season-best time of 12.29 seconds. Senior tri-captain Anya Kaufmann took fifth in the event, running a time of 12.60 seconds to add four more points to the Jumbos' score. Kaufmann nabbed an eighth-place finish in the 200-meter dash (26.45 seconds) to add another point to the score. Senior Jana Hieber added 20 points to the Jumbos' total score with two individual NESCAC titles including wins in the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles. Her dominating time of 1:02:70 in the 400-meter hurdles was over a second faster than the second-place time. The Jumbos were also victorious in the 4x100-meter relay, as junior Christina Harvey, Kaufmann, freshman Bianca Rescalvo and Harrison teamed up to break the meet record with a time of 48.06 seconds. The previous meet record was set last year by Harvey, Kaufmann, Harrison and Samantha Bissonnette (LA '13) in 48.27 seconds. "The 4x100 [relay] really got people psyched for the rest of the day," sophomore Sydney Smith said. "It pumped us up and made us hungrier for points." Tufts also fared well in the distance events. In a fast 800-meter race, Smith and junior Lauren Gormer both placed in the top eight. The race was extremely tight, with first and fifth place separated only by 1.5 seconds. Smith came in fifth with a new personal record of 2:15.99, while Gormer placed seventh with a season-best time of 2:17.04. In the 5,000, sophomore Audrey Gould ran out to the front from the gun and never looked back. Following a 5:30 first mile, Gould was able to take the NESCAC title with her time of 17:30.26, finishing more than six seconds ahead of the next closest runner. The Jumbos also saw points scored in the 10,000, as senior Abby Barker placed fifth, running a time of 36:57.44, while senior Lauren Creath took eighth with a time of 37:36.12. In a similar fashion, senior tri-captain Laura Peterson and sophomore Olivia Beltrani also finished in the top eight in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Peterson took fifth, running a time of 11:21.11 in the competition, while Beltrani took eighth in a new personal record of 11:33.54. "I wanted to go out hard in the steeplechase to avoid racing with the pack over the water jumps, and after that, I just wanted to hang on," Peterson said. Although Tufts was not as dominant in the field as it was last year, the team still competed at a high level. Hieber took second in the long jump with her leap of 17' 8", while Harrison and Kaufmann finished sixth and eighth, respectively. Tufts also received three top-eight finishes in the shot-put as senior Robin Armstrong took fifth with a throw of 36' 3 1/2", Hieber took seventh with a toss of 35' 8 1/2" and freshman Bailey Conner made her mark with an impressive throw of 35' 5 1/4" to place eighth. Armstrong later placed fifth in the hammer throw with a heave of 142' 5", and sixth in the javelin with her throw of 124' 10". Senior Kristen Roberts and sophomore Paige Roberts also contributed to the point total as well in the high jump, as Kristen Roberts took fifth with a mark of 4' 11 3/4", while Paige Roberts tied for sixth, achieving the same height, but with an additional attempt. "Williams was an incredibly talented team that was going to be very difficult to top," Smith said. "We had a lot of great performances, but we also had a few areas where we fell short of what we were hoping to achieve." Williams has won the NESCAC title 13 times since 2001, but Peterson still believes that Tufts can catch the reigning champs next year. "We may be losing a lot of seniors and Williams is an incredible program, but I think if the underclassmen continue to improve and keep doing what they are doing, then we could beat Williams," she said. "We also need to be able to capitalize on [Williams'] mistakes." Though the most important part of the season is over, Smith said that the team still has more work to do. "Our team focus moving forward will be on chasing a few school records, improving personal performances and hopefully qualifying plenty of people for Nationals," she said. "We will be looking for a solid finish at the Div. III New England meet next weekend [at Springfield College], but we most likely won't have our full squad due to finals."

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Sports

Crew | Women’s crew’s performance against WPI highlights jam-packed weekend

April 24

Both the men’s and women’s crew teams participated in races over the weekend against Middlebury and Worchester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Both teams lost to Middlebury, and the men’s team fell just short against WPI. But the women’s team stepped up, reclaiming the Bernard Brown Cup after a three-year drought.The women's crew first varsity eight edged WPI by a length to regain the Cup. The team finished with a time of 6:59.88 compared to WPI’s time of 7:04.31. Although the Bernard Brown Cup is a contest between just Tufts and WPI, five other teams competed in the varsity eight race, which William Smith won with a 6:55.20 finish. Tufts finished second ahead of WPI, Clark and Skidmore. In the women’s second varsity eight, Tufts was third with a 7:25.5 time behind William Smith (7:11.6) and WPI (7:22.5). WPI also edged Tufts in the women's third varsity eight race, 7:38.47 to 7:41.19. In the women's novice eight, Tufts (8:21.81) was third of four teams, behind William Smith (7:33.72) and Skidmore (7:58.27), but ahead of Clark (9:22.26).A big factor in the women’s team success this season has been thanks to its trainer and lifting coach, Mike Pimentel who has made great strides with the team both in and out of the water. “Mike [Pimentel] has really been a positive role model in our life; he’s done wonders for the team,” senior tri-captain Caroline Ricard said. “Everyone really appreciates the value of winter training, and he’s really created a positive cohesive culture [in the team, which] will be pervasive in years to come.” In the men's Bernard Brown Cup, WPI retained the trophy with a time of 6:12.06, placing it about 15 seconds faster than Tufts' time of 6:26.53. Four teams competed in the race. Tufts placed third while Skidmore (8:21.81) occupied the second spot, between WPI and Tufts. For the men's division, Tufts placed fourth in second varsity eight (6:51.58) out of five, conceding to host WPI who recorded a time of 6:25.2. The Goats defeated the Jumbos in men's novice four as well, 7:35.5 to 7:47.05, in the sole two-team matchup of the day.Although Tufts was racing on unfamiliar waters, Lake Ouinsigamond -- a much straighter, wider course than the one the team was used to -- conditions played a minimal role in the weekend’s results. “A race is a race, when it comes down to it,” junior co-captain Krzysztof Danielewicz said. “[The conditions] played a small part” The day before, both the men’s and women’s teams faced off against NESCAC-rival Middlebury at home, winning five out of nine races on the Malden River. The Panthers won the two first varsity eight races, but the rest of the Jumbos’ programs fared better, winning five of the seven starts.In first varsity eight competition, the Middlebury women rowed an impressive time of 7:11.05, decisively finishing before Tufts' time of 7:34.93. The men’s crew first varsity eight found a similar fate, rowing a time of 6:55.45, which left them over 20 seconds behind the Middlebury men’s team’s time of 6:35.27.However, the men's second varsity eight showed resilience, recording a dominant win over Middlebury with a time of 7:06.73. Middlebury’s second varsity came in at 7:28.36. The Jumbo novice four also won its race, edging Middlebury’s novice four by more than nine seconds, 7:42.24 to 7:51.36.“[Rowing against] Middlebury was a lot of fun. We underestimated them at first and the first varsity team lost by a relatively large margin,” Danielewicz said. “The second boat stayed calm and controlled and just focused on what happened in our boat.” The top performers of the day for the Tufts women came in the third varsity eight boat, which was almost 13 seconds faster than Middlebury, crossing the finish line in 8:13.70 to Middlebury’s 8:26.80 finish.The women's second varsity eight and novice eight also scored wins on the day. The second varsity eight notched a time of 7:51.90 compared to Middlebury’s time of 7:59.27, and the Tufts novice eight boat won by nearly two lengths, at 8:46.5 to 8:53.4.12

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Sports

Men's Track and Field | Jumbos perform well across multiple weekend meets

April 23

The men's track and field team was split between three meets over the weekend: the last competitions before the NESCAC Championship this Saturday. The majority of the squad traveled to MIT on Saturday for the Sean Collier Invitational. Named in honor of the MIT police officer who was killed last April, the meet featured teams of all divisions from across New England.The best performance at the meet for the Jumbos came from the 4x100-meter relay team. Consisting of senior Graham Beutler, freshman Blake Coolidge, sophomore Bryson Hoover-Hankerson and senior Andrew Osborne, the squad won with a time of 43.41 seconds. Junior thrower Brian Williamson had a solid day in the pit, placing in the top-five in three events. He placed third in shot-put with a throw of 49' 11 3/4", fourth in the hammer throw with a toss of 172' and fifth in discus with a heave of 131' 5". Classmate Atticus Swett had a similarly strong performance, finishing in the top six in the same three events. His discus throw of 139' 11" earned him third place, while his shot-put of 47' 10 1/2" earned fourth place and his hammer throw of 142' 10" earned him sixth.Back on the track, junior Joseph St. Pierre placed well in two events, finishing third in the 800-meter with a time of 1:58.67 and fourth in the 1,500-meter with a time of 4:02.04."We've got great talent up front, but experience has proven depth to be just as integral in the building of a championship team," St. Pierre said. "[The] Sean Collier [Invitational] gave us the chance to fine-tune the team and really give us the chance to set some great times and marks so as to prove that we can compete in any event against any team come postseason."Another athlete competing in multiple events, freshman Nick Usoff, showed off his versatility, placing third in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 56.38, and fourth in javelin with a throw of 174' 04". "[I'm] really happy with how I did," Usoff said. "I executed my race plan well in the 400-hurdles and came close to my personal best, and my throw moved me up to second seed in the javelin going into NESCACs, which is a lot higher up than I expected going into the season."A few Jumbo runners broke away from the rest of the team to instead compete at the Larry Ellis Invitational at Princeton on Friday. The meet featured the best runners from all divisions in the Northeast. Tufts sent five runners to the meet, all of whom posted excellent times.Sophomores Mitchell Black and Veer Bhalla ran the 800-meter in a very fast and deep field of just under 75 runners. Black finished in 15th place with a time of 1:50.89. It wasn't Black's fastest 800, but it was good enough to qualify him for the NCAA Championship meet, and stands as the fastest 800 time recorded by a Div. III runner this season. Bhalla placed 24th with a time of 1:52.64, which puts him as the eighth-best 800-meter runner in Div. III this season.Tufts' distance runners had three very strong races in three separate events. Senior tri-captain Ben Wallis joined Black in qualifying for the NCAA Championship meet, placing 16th in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:01.46. The time is Wallis' career best, and currently ranks third in Div. III.Senior tri-captain Jamie Norton recorded a time of 3:50.59 in the 1,500-meter, breaking the school record that has stood since 2009. Norton's performance won 26th place at the meet, and ranks seventh in Div. III this season.Rounding out the day, senior Andrew Shapero competed in the 5,000-meter, finishing 46th with a time of 14:46.77. This performance is a career best by more than 12 seconds for Shapero, and ranks him in the top-40 runners in Div. III this season. The Jumbos also had a few athletes compete at home, as Ellis Oval played host to the Tufts Last Second Decathlon on Thursday and Friday. With only nine athletes from the region competing, junior Allan Yau led the Tufts squad with a second-place finish. He accrued 5,177 points during the two days, finishing 915 points out of first place. Yau was remarkably consistent, finishing second despite placing better than third in only two of the 10 events. He won the pole vault with a jump of 10' 10" and placed second in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.81. He placed either third or fourth in five other events, solidifying his spot near the top of the leaderboard. Yau was backed by sophomore Alex Karys and freshman Dan Camilletti, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Karys scored 5,140 points, and Camilletti earned 4,758. The decathletes, as well as the runners that competed in the Larry Ellis Invitational, will rejoin the rest of the Tufts squad on Saturday for the NESCAC Championships at Colby.For freshmen like Usoff, this will be their first experiences in a high-pressure, high-stakes collegiate meet."I think the biggest setback that I have to overcome as a freshman is that I have no real championship meet experience," Usoff said. "In all of the meets leading up to NESCACs, the team score hasn't really mattered, and I haven't been in a meet where my individual performance affects the outcome of the team. I haven't had to deal with this added pressure that my non-freshmen teammates certainly have, so I guess mentally I really don't know what to expect."Luckily for the Jumbos, there are plenty of athletes on the squad with experience performing well in big meets. Tufts is the defending NESCAC champion and has a real chance to repeat this season. 12

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Sports

Women's Track and Field | Regular season comes to close at MIT

April 23

The women's track and field team travelled south on Saturday to MIT's Harry G. Steinbrenner track for the first annual Sean Collier Invitational.

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Baseball | Tufts sweeps weekend en route to seventh straight win

April 23

It was a long weekend for the baseball team, as Tufts played five games in four days at Huskins Field in Medford. The team defeated conference-rival Colby on Friday, 10-1, before pulling off two walk-off wins against Colby in its doubleheader on Saturday. Tufts also took both games in its doubleheader against UMass Dartmouth on Monday, 9-3 and 3-0.

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Sports

Women's Lacrosse | Tufts holds of Wesleyan with late run

April 21

Coming off of its thrilling overtime win over Bates last Tuesday, the No. 17 women's lacrosse team appeared to have a clear road to a second-straight victory when it took on Wesleyan on Saturday. However, the Cardinals, seeking their first conference win of the season, almost pulled off a major upset on Saturday, thwarted only by a late surge from the Jumbos. The final push at the end of the second half gave Tufts a 7-5 win, and moved its NESCAC record to 5-4 and overall record to 9-5.

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Sports

Softball | Offensive explosion pushes Tufts' winning streak to 12 games

April 21

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

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Women's Lacrosse | Tufts celebrates senior day with thrilling overtime win

April 16

On Tuesday, the seniors on the women's lacrosse team refused to let their senior day end in defeat. On their final game on Bello Field, senior captain attacker Gabby Horner and her classmate, midfielder Eliza Halmo, combined for six second-half and overtime goals to come back from a three goal deficit to beat Bates, 11-9, in overtime.

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Sports

Men's and Women's Crew | Women's team upsets No. 3 Bates

April 15

The men's and women's crew teams were both in action over the weekend on the Malden River. Both teams raced twice; the men's team competed against Bates College and University of New Hampshire, while the women's team raced against Wellesley College and Bates College. The results were mixed, with the men's team falling in both its races and the women's team splitting its two competitions. The women's team win over Bates was a huge victory for No. 11 Tufts, who toppled the team ranked third in the nation in its second race of the day on Saturday. Tufts had not fared as well in its first race against No. 1-ranked Wellesley, finishing with a time of 7:18.1 to Wellesley's of 7:04.1. Despite the uninspiring performance against the nation's top team, the Jumbos were unfazed for their race against the Bobcats. "We brought a renewed focus on rhythm and blade work to our second race against Bates," senior captain Caroline Ricard told the Daily in an email. "After staying ahead through the turn, it was just a matter of not losing our heads." Tufts defeated Bates, finishing with a time of 7:02.9 to Bates' 7:07.1. Tufts made its big push with almost 900 meters to go in the race, growing a deck lead into a full length lead with just under 500 meters remaining. Even though Bates rallied, Tufts was able to hold off its opponent with around 400 meters left in the 2,000-meter river course. Nevertheless, members of the team saw room for improvement. "We can always improve our race mentality," Ricard said. "Staying calm while bringing relentless aggression is a delicate balance, and we have a tendency to get excited when the race is tight." The men's team did not have this same success against Bates. The Jumbos came up just short, finishing with a time of 6:11.1 to Bates' time of 6:06.7. Tufts also showed resiliency in its race against New Hampshire, but ultimately lost the race by a wider margin, finishing with a time of 6:31.1 to New Hampshire's time of 6:18.4. These two losses ended a three-race winning streak for the Jumbos and halted the momentum they had been carrying into the weekend. "We lost both races, but I think we went a lot faster against those teams than we had in recent years," junior Peter Estes said. "That felt good to see." Tufts has some improvements to make as it continues its season next weekend against Middlebury at home on April 19 and then against Rochester Institute of Technology , Washington College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute on April 20 on the Quinsigamond River in Worcester, Mass. "Technique and timing, getting ... all eight rowers to sync up, are our biggest problems right now," Estes said. "If we can sync up and row as a unit better, then we'll do a lot better in the coming weeks." That being said, the Jumbos are still excited about the upcoming races and the chance to prove themselves against other teams in New England. "It looks like we're a lot faster than we've been in the past couple years," Estes said. "We've got a chance to actually do something pretty good this season, a chance to make a statement." The women's team also has the same set of races next weekend when it takes on Middlebury at home on April 19 and RIT, Washington College, and WPI on April 20, also on the Quinsigamond River. For the women's team, the weekend's races will pit it against especially challenging competition; WPI is ranked 10th in the nation, and Washington College is ranked eighth. Victories against both of those teams will give the Jumbos a chance to move even further up the national standings. RIT is also ranked 15th nationally, and will provide Tufts the opportunity to play the favorite. "I am most excited to see how we match up against Middlebury and WPI next weekend," Ricard. "Each week we get a little faster, and the efforts we put into winter training are clearly paying off for all the crews." Although the season is coming to a close, big races for both teams are coming up. The Tufts rowers are racing in the New England Championships on May 3 and then in the Eastern College Athletic Conference National Invitational Championships on May 10.

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Sports

Women's Track | Five Jumbos win events at UMass Lowell

April 15

A game that doesn't "count" for a team's standings can sometimes lead to sloppy and lackadaisical performances from athletes because the actual outcome doesn't matter. But Saturday's unscored George Davis Invitational at UMass Lowell was quite the opposite. In fact, the team featured 18 top-five finishes in a wide array of events, as well as five first-place finishes. The meet was also the first of the season that was unmarred by cold or rainy conditions, and the warm weather undoubtedly helped all of the competitors. Despite a minor headwind, the team fared particularly well in the short sprints. In the 4x100-meter relay, freshmen Rita Donohoe and Bianca Rescalvo, sophomore Alexis Harrison and senior tri-captain Anya Kaufmann combined for an impressive time of 49.21 to win the event. "Our 4x100 [team] has been working on improving, and we recorded a pretty good time, but we're still working on improving that [time]," Kaufmann said. "As a whole, the meet went pretty well. [There's] definitely still some room for improvement, but we feel pretty confident." The most impressive performances of the day, however, came from individuals. Senior Jana Hieber continued her impressive string of spring performances with a victory and a pair of top-two finishes. On the track, Hieber won the 400-meter dash with a time of 56.72, while in the pit, she took second place in both the 100-meter hurdles (with a time of 15.19) and long jump (18' 1 1/2"). Meanwhile, the Jumbos demonstrated complete dominance in the 3,000-meter run, with four runners in the top 10. Sophomore Audrey Gold won with a time of 10:16.60, followed by sophomore teammate Olivia Beltrani, who finished at 10:32.28. Rounding out the top-four Tufts finishers in the event were freshman Kelley Fahey, who finished fifth with a time of 10:54.47, and sophomore Michele de Mars, who finished seventh with a time of 11:03.20. The team also scored very well in field events, which saw exceptionally strong individual performances. Senior Robin Armstrong won the hammer throw with a toss of 142' 10" and placed fifth in the discus with a heave of 116' 6," and sophomore Julia Rogers finished second in the pole vault with a leap of 9' 6 1/4." "I was working on some form things [at UMass Lowell] and am definitely moving forward and looking toward NESCACs," Armstrong said. "All we want to do ... is throw consistently because that will help us score points. It's important to stay consistent — not have a huge day at a meet that doesn't really matter and then perform at a lower standard during NESCACs." The NESCAC championships are now just a week and a half away, and the defending-champion Jumbos are feeling the pressure to recapture last season's form and cruise to another conference title. "This past week, as a team, we looked at our current standing in the NESCAC, and if we are able to score as we have been, we'll be in a position to win the meet," Armstrong said. "That obviously gives us a lot of confidence, and our team is really excited about competing." Kaufmann wants to make sure the team stays motivated, however, and understands that a conference-championship-level performance is something that can't be taken for granted. In order to claim its second-straight NESCAC title in outdoor track, Tufts will have to go through Williams, who is currently ranked 11th nationally. "We don't have a large enough lead on the other NESCAC teams to just sit comfortably," she said. "[We need a] wake up call that we still need to go out and compete." More immediately, the majority of the team will look to carry the momentum from the Davis Invitational into Saturday's Sean Collier Invitational at MIT. Some members of the team will also see action during the week, as they travel to the Holy Cross Heptathlon today and the Larry Ellis Invitational at Princeton University on Friday.

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Sports

Women's Track | Five Jumbos win events at UMass Lowell

April 15

A game that doesn't "count" for a team's standings can sometimes lead to sloppy and lackadaisical performances from athletes because the actual outcome doesn't matter. But Saturday's unscored George Davis Invitational at UMass Lowell was quite the opposite. In fact, the team featured 18 top-five finishes in a wide array of events, as well as five first-place finishes. The meet was also the first of the season that was unmarred by cold or rainy conditions, and the warm weather undoubtedly helped all of the competitors. Despite a minor headwind, the team fared particularly well in the short sprints. In the 4x100-meter relay, freshmen Rita Donohoe and Bianca Rescalvo, sophomore Alexis Harrison and senior tri-captain Anya Kaufmann combined for an impressive time of 49.21 to win the event. "Our 4x100 [team] has been working on improving, and we recorded a pretty good time, but we're still working on improving that [time]," Kaufmann said. "As a whole, the meet went pretty well. [There's] definitely still some room for improvement, but we feel pretty confident." The most impressive performances of the day, however, came from individuals. Senior Jana Hieber continued her impressive string of spring performances with a victory and a pair of top-two finishes. On the track, Hieber won the 400-meter dash with a time of 56.72, while in the pit, she took second place in both the 100-meter hurdles (with a time of 15.19) and long jump (18' 1 1/2"). Meanwhile, the Jumbos demonstrated complete dominance in the 3,000-meter run, with four runners in the top 10. Sophomore Audrey Gold won with a time of 10:16.60, followed by sophomore teammate Olivia Beltrani, who finished at 10:32.28. Rounding out the top-four Tufts finishers in the event were freshman Kelley Fahey, who finished fifth with a time of 10:54.47, and sophomore Michele de Mars, who finished seventh with a time of 11:03.20. The team also scored very well in field events, which saw exceptionally strong individual performances. Senior Robin Armstrong won the hammer throw with a toss of 142' 10" and placed fifth in the discus with a heave of 116' 6," and sophomore Julia Rogers finished second in the pole vault with a leap of 9' 6 1/4." "I was working on some form things [at UMass Lowell] and am definitely moving forward and looking toward NESCACs," Armstrong said. "All we want to do ... is throw consistently because that will help us score points. It's important to stay consistent - not have a huge day at a meet that doesn't really matter and then perform at a lower standard during NESCACs." The NESCAC championships are now just a week and a half away, and the defending-champion Jumbos are feeling the pressure to recapture last season's form and cruise to another conference title. "This past week, as a team, we looked at our current standing in the NESCAC, and if we are able to score as we have been, we'll be in a position to win the meet," Armstrong said. "That obviously gives us a lot of confidence, and our team is really excited about competing." Kaufmann wants to make sure the team stays motivated, however, and understands that a conference-championship-level performance is something that can't be taken for granted. In order to claim its second-straight NESCAC title in outdoor track, Tufts will have to go through Williams, who is currently ranked 11th nationally. "We don't have a large enough lead on the other NESCAC teams to just sit comfortably," she said. "[We need a] wake up call that we still need to go out and compete." More immediately, the majority of the team will look to carry the momentum from the Davis Invitational into Saturday's Sean Collier Invitational at MIT. Some members of the team will also see action during the week, as they travel to the Holy Cross Heptathlon today and the Larry Ellis Invitational at Princeton University on Friday.

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Sports

Women's Tennis | Williams halts Tufts' winning streak at four

April 14

Women's tennis played two NESCAC teams this past week, finding itself on the opposite ends of two lopsided final scores. Riding their longest winning streak of the season, the Jumbos attained their fourth straight win, beating Wesleyan on the road 9-0 this past Wednesday.The tables were turned on Saturday, however, when Tufts hosted national No. 1 Williams, which came into the competition undefeated after 12 dual matches, including a 9-0 sweep of Wesleyan and a 7-2 victory over Middlebury. Over the weekend, the Ephs notched three consecutive shutout victories over NESCAC opponents, defeating Tufts on Saturday, and Hamilton and Trinity on Sunday.Williams has won the last six NCAA Div. III Championships and currently holds the all-time Div. III record for most NCAA Championships at eight, a feat it achieved over a span of 13 years. This season, the team has recorded nine victories without dropping a match, and holds an overall record of 120-15 on the year.The Ephs are led by senior co-captains Kara Shoemaker and Kathleen Elkins, both of whom are ranked within the top-50 Div. III players in the country. Shoemaker, who is ranked No. 16 in the nation, played in the No. 1 singles against Tufts senior captain Samantha Gann. After a tightly contested first set that saw Shoemaker barely edging past Gann 7-6 (6), Shoemaker finished the match strong, breaking Gann's serve three consecutive times en route to her 6-0 second set.A similar story played out in the No. 2 singles. The No. 43-ranked Elkins faced off against Tufts freshman Alexa Meltzer, who challenged Elkins in the first set, pushing the score to 5-5 before Elkins broke Meltzer's serve to win the set 7-5. In the second set, Elkins improved her game, and Meltzer, like Gann, found herself on the losing end of a 6-0 score.Freshman Conner Calabro and senior Shelci Bowman played at the No. 3 and No. 4 singles positions, bowing out to their opponents 6-1, 6-1 and 6-0, 6-3, respectively.Freshman Jacqueline Baum and senior Rebecca Kimmel rounded out the singles matchups, battling through first-set jitters to challenge their opponents in the second set. Baum pushed Williams junior Monica Pastor to a second set tiebreak, eventually conceding a 6-1, 7-6 (5) defeat, while Kimmel battled Hannah Atkinson, one of only two freshmen in Williams' starting lineup, before bowing out 6-0, 7-5."In the first set, [Pastor] came out stronger than I [did]," Baum said. "She was being a lot more aggressive on the serve, but in the second set I started getting a little more control on the ball. Before that [point] it was just [Pastor] hitting winners, [but later] I was able to extend the rallies a lot more [and be] better at the longer points." While the Jumbos are considered a relatively young team, with five of their nine players in their first season of collegiate tennis, the Ephs have just three freshmen on their 10-member roster.Up against an established and successful tennis program, Tufts' 9-0 defeat at the hands of the reigning national champions should not be taken at face value. Four of the six singles matches involved Tufts' players posing definitive threats to Williams' players, with the possibility of pushing each of the matches into a third set. The No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, consisting of Bowman and Baum, and Calabro and sophomore Catherine Worley, respectively, also fought hard, but ultimately fell 8-4 both times."Conner [Calabro] has the best serve on the team, and she's a pretty big force at the net - she's like 5'10,"" Worley said. ""[But against Williams] we just hit the ball down the middle in doubles, and the Williams girls were able to pick that ball off and poach.""While the loss caps Tufts' number of consecutive victories at four, its 9-0 sweep of Wesleyan is a testament to the strength of the women's tennis team. Against the Cardinals, the Jumbos only dropped one set and were led by their doubles play, which started the day at 3-0, giving the team a cushion heading into the singles matches.Tufts did not take its three-game lead lightly, though. The Jumbos closed the door on the Cardinals without dropping one singles match.The Jumbos' hunger and tenacity in games, and their ability to close out tight matches is becoming more evident as the season progresses, and was particularly impressive in the two matchups against the Cardinals. At No. 4 singles, Bowman recovered from dropping the second set 6-1 to edge past her opponent, junior Anna Howard, by a single break of serve in the third set, notching a 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 victory in the longest match of the day. At No. 3 doubles, Calabro and Worley were forced to play to nine games (doubles matches are typically played to eight games, but must be won by two) after the scored was tied at 7-7. They won the next two games for a final score of 9-7.12"

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Sports

Women's Tennis | Williams halts Tufts' winning streak at four

April 14

Women's tennis played two NESCAC teams this past week, finding itself on the opposite ends of two lopsided final scores. Riding their longest winning streak of the season, the Jumbos attained their fourth straight win, beating Wesleyan on the road 9-0 this past Wednesday.The tables were turned on Saturday, however, when Tufts hosted national No. 1 Williams, which came into the competition undefeated after 12 dual matches, including a 9-0 sweep of Wesleyan and a 7-2 victory over Middlebury. Over the weekend, the Ephs notched three consecutive shutout victories over NESCAC opponents, defeating Tufts on Saturday, and Hamilton and Trinity on Sunday.Williams has won the last six NCAA Div. III Championships and currently holds the all-time Div. III record for most NCAA Championships at eight, a feat it achieved over a span of 13 years. This season, the team has recorded nine victories without dropping a match, and holds an overall record of 120-15 on the year.The Ephs are led by senior co-captains Kara Shoemaker and Kathleen Elkins, both of whom are ranked within the top-50 Div. III players in the country. Shoemaker, who is ranked No. 16 in the nation, played in the No. 1 singles against Tufts senior captain Samantha Gann. After a tightly contested first set that saw Shoemaker barely edging past Gann 7-6 (6), Shoemaker finished the match strong, breaking Gann's serve three consecutive times en route to her 6-0 second set.A similar story played out in the No. 2 singles. The No. 43-ranked Elkins faced off against Tufts freshman Alexa Meltzer, who challenged Elkins in the first set, pushing the score to 5-5 before Elkins broke Meltzer's serve to win the set 7-5. In the second set, Elkins improved her game, and Meltzer, like Gann, found herself on the losing end of a 6-0 score.Freshman Conner Calabro and senior Shelci Bowman played at the No. 3 and No. 4 singles positions, bowing out to their opponents 6-1, 6-1 and 6-0, 6-3, respectively.Freshman Jacqueline Baum and senior Rebecca Kimmel rounded out the singles matchups, battling through first-set jitters to challenge their opponents in the second set. Baum pushed Williams junior Monica Pastor to a second set tiebreak, eventually conceding a 6-1, 7-6 (5) defeat, while Kimmel battled Hannah Atkinson, one of only two freshmen in Williams' starting lineup, before bowing out 6-0, 7-5."In the first set, [Pastor] came out stronger than I [did]," Baum said. "She was being a lot more aggressive on the serve, but in the second set I started getting a little more control on the ball. Before that [point] it was just [Pastor] hitting winners, [but later] I was able to extend the rallies a lot more [and be] better at the longer points." While the Jumbos are considered a relatively young team, with five of their nine players in their first season of collegiate tennis, the Ephs have just three freshmen on their 10-member roster.Up against an established and successful tennis program, Tufts' 9-0 defeat at the hands of the reigning national champions should not be taken at face value. Four of the six singles matches involved Tufts' players posing definitive threats to Williams' players, with the possibility of pushing each of the matches into a third set. The No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, consisting of Bowman and Baum, and Calabro and sophomore Catherine Worley, respectively, also fought hard, but ultimately fell 8-4 both times."Conner [Calabro] has the best serve on the team, and she's a pretty big force at the net — she's like 5'10”," Worley said. "[But against Williams] we just hit the ball down the middle in doubles, and the Williams girls were able to pick that ball off and poach."While the loss caps Tufts' number of consecutive victories at four, its 9-0 sweep of Wesleyan is a testament to the strength of the women's tennis team. Against the Cardinals, the Jumbos only dropped one set and were led by their doubles play, which started the day at 3-0, giving the team a cushion heading into the singles matches.Tufts did not take its three-game lead lightly, though. The Jumbos closed the door on the Cardinals without dropping one singles match.The Jumbos' hunger and tenacity in games, and their ability to close out tight matches is becoming more evident as the season progresses, and was particularly impressive in the two matchups against the Cardinals. At No. 4 singles, Bowman recovered from dropping the second set 6-1 to edge past her opponent, junior Anna Howard, by a single break of serve in the third set, notching a 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 victory in the longest match of the day. At No. 3 doubles, Calabro and Worley were forced to play to nine games (doubles matches are typically played to eight games, but must be won by two) after the scored was tied at 7-7. They won the next two games for a final score of 9-7.12

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Sports

Softball | Fournier, Giglio lead Tufts to double-header sweep over Rhode Island College

April 10

The softball team improved to 16-3 on Wednesday following a pair of shutout victories over the Rhode Island College Anchorwomen, 6-0 and 1-0.Senior pitcher Lauren Giglio and junior pitcher Allyson Fournier were in top form, holding the Anchorwomen to four hits over the two games to help the Jumbos secure the double-header sweep and get back in the win column following a pair of losses to Williams.Tufts jumped ahead early in game one when senior third baseman Chrissie Massrey singled home the game's first run in the top of the second inning for her eighth RBI of the season. The Jumbos tacked on three more in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead, capitalizing on a throwing error by the Anchorwomen and a pair of singles from senior catcher Jo Clair and junior center fielder Michelle Cooprider.The four runs would be more than enough for Giglio, who cruised through Rhode Island's lineup, allowing just two hits over seven innings to go along with 10 strikeouts. Giglio improved to 6-1 on the year, and more impressively has now posted a 1.24 ERA in nine appearances."When any of our pitchers take the mound we're confident that if we post a few runs we'll get the job done," Clair said. "But also, with our lineup this year we're so strong that we should be able to put up a bunch of runs every game no matter who we're playing. And as an offense we want to give them as much run support as we possibly can."Clair knocked in two more runs in the seventh inning for good measure, lacing a one-out double off the right field fence to give the Jumbos a 6-0 edge. The Anchorwomen would load the bases in the bottom half of the frame before Giglio induced a groundout to secure the shutout victory.The nightcap of the double-header proved to be more of a nail-biter. Fournier squared off against Rhode Island senior pitcher Michelle Sylvestre, who had just logged 4.2 innings of work in the day's first game.Neither pitcher budged through six innings, and the teams entered the final inning of the day knotted at zero. Senior pitcher Maria Darling entered the game for the Anchorwomen looking to keep the Jumbos off the scoreboard. After sophomore infielder Christina Raso led off the inning with a single, senior left fielder Sara Hedtler reached base on a fielder's choice. A throwing error and wild pitch allowed Hedtler to get to third base.Still with one out in the inning, freshman infielder Cassie Ruscz hit a fly ball to shallow right field. Rhode Island's sophomore right fielder Abigail Francis caught the ball and quickly threw it to home plate to try to gun down Hedtler, who was tagging from third. The throw beat Hedtler to the plate, but Rhode Island's sophomore catcher Tori Lussier dropped the ball as she tried to apply the tag on Hedtler, who scored what would be the game-winning run.Fournier closed the door in the home half of the seventh, shutting the Anchorwomen down in order to earn her eighth win of the season, and more importantly secure the 1-0 victory and double-header sweep for the Jumbos. The All-American allowed just two hits and struck out 16 in the complete game effort, lowering her ERA to a remarkable 0.49."I think we played a lot better the first game than we did the second," Clair said. "But at the end of the day a win is a win, and it [is] good to get back in the win column. I think we needed to get some confidence back, and we did that.""It was definitely good to get two wins ..." added senior infielder Kayla Holland. "Everyone has been working really hard in practice, especially on the little things, and I think it really showed in our games today."Fournier and Giglio have been dominant as the anchors of the Jumbo's pitching staff. But the two veterans have logged a combined 108 innings already, including six complete games apiece. It would be in the team's best interest to limit the pair's workload so that they stay fresh heading into the stretch run of the regular season and into the postseason."Our whole pitching staff is great this year, but it's our job as hitters to get as many runs on the board as quick as possible, so our pitchers who do throw a lot of innings can come out of the game early," Holland added. "When [the score is] 1-0 in the sixth or seventh inning it puts a lot of pressure on our defense and pitching, so we'd obviously rather put the game away earlier."12

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Sports

Softball | Fournier, Giglio lead Tufts to double-header sweep over Rhode Island College

April 10

The softball team improved to 16-3 on Wednesday following a pair of shutout victories over the Rhode Island College Anchorwomen, 6-0 and 1-0.Senior pitcher Lauren Giglio and junior pitcher Allyson Fournier were in top form, holding the Anchorwomen to four hits over the two games to help the Jumbos secure the double-header sweep and get back in the win column following a pair of losses to Williams.Tufts jumped ahead early in game one when senior third baseman Chrissie Massrey singled home the game’s first run in the top of the second inning for her eighth RBI of the season. The Jumbos tacked on three more in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead, capitalizing on a throwing error by the Anchorwomen and a pair of singles from senior catcher Jo Clair and junior center fielder Michelle Cooprider.The four runs would be more than enough for Giglio, who cruised through Rhode Island’s lineup, allowing just two hits over seven innings to go along with 10 strikeouts. Giglio improved to 6-1 on the year, and more impressively has now posted a 1.24 ERA in nine appearances.“When any of our pitchers take the mound we’re confident that if we post a few runs we’ll get the job done,” Clair said. “But also, with our lineup this year we’re so strong that we should be able to put up a bunch of runs every game no matter who we’re playing. And as an offense we want to give them as much run support as we possibly can.”Clair knocked in two more runs in the seventh inning for good measure, lacing a one-out double off the right field fence to give the Jumbos a 6-0 edge. The Anchorwomen would load the bases in the bottom half of the frame before Giglio induced a groundout to secure the shutout victory.The nightcap of the double-header proved to be more of a nail-biter. Fournier squared off against Rhode Island senior pitcher Michelle Sylvestre, who had just logged 4.2 innings of work in the day’s first game.Neither pitcher budged through six innings, and the teams entered the final inning of the day knotted at zero. Senior pitcher Maria Darling entered the game for the Anchorwomen looking to keep the Jumbos off the scoreboard. After sophomore infielder Christina Raso led off the inning with a single, senior left fielder Sara Hedtler reached base on a fielder’s choice. A throwing error and wild pitch allowed Hedtler to get to third base.Still with one out in the inning, freshman infielder Cassie Ruscz hit a fly ball to shallow right field. Rhode Island’s sophomore right fielder Abigail Francis caught the ball and quickly threw it to home plate to try to gun down Hedtler, who was tagging from third. The throw beat Hedtler to the plate, but Rhode Island’s sophomore catcher Tori Lussier dropped the ball as she tried to apply the tag on Hedtler, who scored what would be the game-winning run.Fournier closed the door in the home half of the seventh, shutting the Anchorwomen down in order to earn her eighth win of the season, and more importantly secure the 1-0 victory and double-header sweep for the Jumbos. The All-American allowed just two hits and struck out 16 in the complete game effort, lowering her ERA to a remarkable 0.49.“I think we played a lot better the first game than we did the second,” Clair said. “But at the end of the day a win is a win, and it [is] good to get back in the win column. I think we needed to get some confidence back, and we did that.”“It was definitely good to get two wins ...” added senior infielder Kayla Holland. “Everyone has been working really hard in practice, especially on the little things, and I think it really showed in our games today.”Fournier and Giglio have been dominant as the anchors of the Jumbo’s pitching staff. But the two veterans have logged a combined 108 innings already, including six complete games apiece. It would be in the team’s best interest to limit the pair’s workload so that they stay fresh heading into the stretch run of the regular season and into the postseason.“Our whole pitching staff is great this year, but it’s our job as hitters to get as many runs on the board as quick as possible, so our pitchers who do throw a lot of innings can come out of the game early,” Holland added. “When [the score is] 1-0 in the sixth or seventh inning it puts a lot of pressure on our defense and pitching, so we’d obviously rather put the game away earlier.”12

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Sports

Golf | Koh finishes first among 83 golfers at RIC Invitational

April 9

Sophomore Brendan Koh earned medalist honors at the Rhode Island College Spring Invitational this past weekend, playing at the par-72 Valley Country Club with a two-day score of 154. Koh, who shot a 79 on the first day and a 75 on the second, finished 10-over-par to beat out 82 other golfers and claim the title honors."[Koh's] putting was a little shaky," assistant coach George Pendergast said. "But his high-end play was just so precise that he made seven or eight birdies." Koh led a strong Tufts team that placed fifth out of 17 teams. The host, Rhode Island College took first place overall. Its highest individual finish coming from sophomore Jonathan Cooper (81-74), who tied Tufts freshman Owen Elliott (79-76) with a score of 155. RIC senior Tim Leigh rounded up the top four with a two-day score of 156 (78-78). After the Jumbos' NESCAC hopes eluded them last fall following a sixth-place finish in the Sep. 28-29 competition at Bowdoin – leaving them two spots away from qualifying – Koh's win could be the motivation the team needs for next fall. "I know it [has] been more than six or eight years [since a Tufts player has won an individual tournament]," senior captain Kenny Alperin said. "It hasn't happened since I've been here." This win is also individually significant for Koh, who sees it as validation for himself and his coaching staff. "Let's be real - I should have been benched [this past fall], but [the coaching staff] never benched me," Koh said. "They put me in the starting five, and I'm glad their confidence in me has paid off. My poor performances in the past, if anything, were a reminder and motivation to do better the next time. That [motivation] coupled with the amount of confidence my coaches showed me. I really appreciated [their support]." After the first round of play, Tufts stood firmly at the sixth spot overall with a score of 334, trailing first-place Endicott College (318), and second-place RIC (320). Bill Hutchins from Husson was in the individual lead after shooting a 75 on Friday, while Koh's 7-over-par score of 79 was tied with teammate Elliott for fifth individually after the first round. Despite Koh's strong showing on the first day, the possibility of winning his first individual college tournament never really crossed his mind. When Koh finally realized that winning was possible, however, he started feeling the pressure. "On the second day after the first six holes, suddenly I look at my scorecard and realize I'm two under par - I'm doing really well," Koh said. "When I realized that, I kind of psyched myself out a little bit."Koh was able to overcome the pressure of the situation and finish the round with a 75, four strokes better than his previous day's score. Tufts improved its overall position on day two, sliding up a spot to fifth overall behind Koh and Elliott's strong showings. Tufts' score of 334 (the aggregate scores of its four best players) was three behind fifth-place Johnson & Wales (331) after Friday. On Saturday, the Jumbos improved by 10 strokes, with a score of 324. Their tournament total score was 658, 26 strokes behind RIC's score of 632.Additionally, the rain and 40-degree temperatures over the weekend helped the Jumbos, who were better prepared for the weather than their competitors. "I've always told my guys – get ready for this golf tournament like you're going skiing," Pendergast said. "As [Elliott] went from one hole to the other, I took his bottle, which had ice in it, and got him hot water. A lot of these other kids were wearing golf shirts, and a nylon windbreaker. They were frozen." The team, who took a spring break trip to Scottsdale, Ariz., to prep for the spring season, also benefitted from the additional playing time. "We took eight kids out to Arizona, and it helped that they played four [or] five solid rounds of golf going into the spring season." Pendergast said. "Many of the other colleges in the area hadn't played at all, so we had a leg up on that one."The team has traditionally had problems training in the offseason, especially with the winter weather in New England, which is not ideal for sports like golf that require large outdoor courses. Pendergast acknowledged that finding alternative spaces for the players to practice their swings and their techniques is still a work in progress. "We have a hitting net upstairs in Tisch where the squash courts are [located], and on the day of the tournament we went to the driving range over in Lexington," Pendergast said. "But we're still working on [finding training spaces]. Two or three courses that we usually play at won't be open [until] April 12."The spring break trip to Arizona also increased the team's comradery. While players' chemistry is important in most team sports, it plays less of a role in golf - where five players play individually, often completely isolated from their teammates. 12

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Sports

Coed Sailing | Jumbos qualify for Nationals for first time since 2010

April 9

Coming off a strong second-place finish at the Marchiando Team Race, the coed sailing team entered the New England Team Racing regatta with a concrete goal: to qualify for the Intercollegiate Sailing Association Team Racing National Championship. The team accomplished that goal, coming in fourth place to grab the final qualifying spot.

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Sports

Golf | Koh finishes first among 83 golfers at RIC Invitational

April 9

Sophomore Brendan Koh earned medalist honors at the Rhode Island College Spring Invitational this past weekend, playing at the par-72 Valley Country Club with a two-day score of 154. Koh, who shot a 79 on the first day and a 75 on the second, finished 10-over-par to beat out 82 other golfers and claim the title honors."[Koh's] putting was a little shaky," assistant coach George Pendergast said. "But his high-end play was just so precise that he made seven or eight birdies." Koh led a strong Tufts team that placed fifth out of 17 teams. The host, Rhode Island College took first place overall. Its highest individual finish coming from sophomore Jonathan Cooper (81-74), who tied Tufts freshman Owen Elliott (79-76) with a score of 155. RIC senior Tim Leigh rounded up the top four with a two-day score of 156 (78-78). After the Jumbos' NESCAC hopes eluded them last fall following a sixth-place finish in the Sep. 28-29 competition at Bowdoin – leaving them two spots away from qualifying – Koh's win could be the motivation the team needs for next fall. "I know it [has] been more than six or eight years [since a Tufts player has won an individual tournament]," senior captain Kenny Alperin said. "It hasn't happened since I've been here." This win is also individually significant for Koh, who sees it as validation for himself and his coaching staff. "Let's be real — I should have been benched [this past fall], but [the coaching staff] never benched me," Koh said. "They put me in the starting five, and I'm glad their confidence in me has paid off. My poor performances in the past, if anything, were a reminder and motivation to do better the next time. That [motivation] coupled with the amount of confidence my coaches showed me. I really appreciated [their support]." After the first round of play, Tufts stood firmly at the sixth spot overall with a score of 334, trailing first-place Endicott College (318), and second-place RIC (320). Bill Hutchins from Husson was in the individual lead after shooting a 75 on Friday, while Koh's 7-over-par score of 79 was tied with teammate Elliott for fifth individually after the first round. Despite Koh's strong showing on the first day, the possibility of winning his first individual college tournament never really crossed his mind. When Koh finally realized that winning was possible, however, he started feeling the pressure. "On the second day after the first six holes, suddenly I look at my scorecard and realize I'm two under par — I'm doing really well," Koh said. "When I realized that, I kind of psyched myself out a little bit."Koh was able to overcome the pressure of the situation and finish the round with a 75, four strokes better than his previous day's score. Tufts improved its overall position on day two, sliding up a spot to fifth overall behind Koh and Elliott's strong showings. Tufts' score of 334 (the aggregate scores of its four best players) was three behind fifth-place Johnson & Wales (331) after Friday. On Saturday, the Jumbos improved by 10 strokes, with a score of 324. Their tournament total score was 658, 26 strokes behind RIC's score of 632.Additionally, the rain and 40-degree temperatures over the weekend helped the Jumbos, who were better prepared for the weather than their competitors. "I've always told my guys – get ready for this golf tournament like you're going skiing," Pendergast said. "As [Elliott] went from one hole to the other, I took his bottle, which had ice in it, and got him hot water. A lot of these other kids were wearing golf shirts, and a nylon windbreaker. They were frozen." The team, who took a spring break trip to Scottsdale, Ariz., to prep for the spring season, also benefitted from the additional playing time. "We took eight kids out to Arizona, and it helped that they played four [or] five solid rounds of golf going into the spring season." Pendergast said. "Many of the other colleges in the area hadn't played at all, so we had a leg up on that one."The team has traditionally had problems training in the offseason, especially with the winter weather in New England, which is not ideal for sports like golf that require large outdoor courses. Pendergast acknowledged that finding alternative spaces for the players to practice their swings and their techniques is still a work in progress. "We have a hitting net upstairs in Tisch where the squash courts are [located], and on the day of the tournament we went to the driving range over in Lexington," Pendergast said. "But we're still working on [finding training spaces]. Two or three courses that we usually play at won't be open [until] April 12."The spring break trip to Arizona also increased the team's comradery. While players’ chemistry is important in most team sports, it plays less of a role in golf — where five players play individually, often completely isolated from their teammates. 12

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