Tuesday, April 8, 2003
Written by Julie Fox

BRENTA NAMED NESCAC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

MEDFORD -- Freshman Softball pitcher Julia Brenta (San Anselmo, CA/Redwood) earned New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Week honors on April 7 for her outstanding performance in a 2-1 win over Wheaton College on April 6.  Brenta earned the award in the second week that it was presented by the conference this season.

Tufts has dominated the award in recent seasons.  Last season the team won four of the six NESCAC Player of the Week honors, and in 2001 the team picked up five of six.  Between Brenta and 2002 Tufts graduate Jodie Moreau, Tufts pitchers have won five of the last nine.

Showing poise beyond her years, Brenta pitched a complete game against Wheaton, giving up only six hits and striking out three.  Wheaton, ranked fifth in the nation by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, did not score until the seventh inning, when Brenta gave up a single and then a double to account for the one run.  She then got the next two batters to ground out to complete the game.  Wheaton also threatened in the fifth inning, when they had a runner on second with one out, but Brenta got a strikeout for the second out and then, after giving up a single to advance the runner to third, got the next batter to fly out to end the threat.

The Tufts offense gave Brenta an early lead, as they scored both of their runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Junior 2B Deana Davidian (Pelham, NY/Pelham) led off the first inning with a slap hit down the first base line, then promptly stole second base.  After Davidian advanced to third on a bunt, sophomore shortstop Courtney Bongiolatti (Locust, NJ/Middletown) walked and stole second to put runners on second and third.  With two outs, junior 3B Julie Fox (Willow Springs, IL/Lyons Township) hit the first pitch she saw into left-centerfield for a two-RBI single.  The two runs were the first runs given up by Wheaton pitcher Jackie Demling in 35.0 innings.

Brenta is currently 3-1 on the year, giving her the best winning percentage (.750) of any Tufts pitcher.  She sports a 2.33 earned run average (10 ER/30.0 IP). The Jumbos (10-8, 2-0 NESCAC East) will take the field at Bridgewater State College this Thursday at 3:00 for two non-conference games.

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