Friday,
April 11, 2003
Written by Michael Douglas
MEDFORD
-- The Tufts University Softball program's career runs batted in record has
been topped for the third straight season. Senior co-captain C Lis
Drake (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford) blasted a three-run home run in the top of
the fourth inning in Tufts' 11-3 victory at Bridgewater State on Thursda (Apr.
10) to give her 113 career runs batted in, surpassing the record of 110 set last
year by Tiffany Trahan. Trahan had broken the record of 103 set in 2001 by
Randee McArdle. With four home runs and 14 RBI, Drake is again one of Tufts'
offensive leaders as the Jumbos have complied a 12-8 record.
Needing
just 11 RBI to tie the record entering this season, Drake reached that plateau
in the first game of the March 29th double-header at Trinity, which Tufts won
8-0. She has had a number of outstanding games so far this year. In Tufts' 7-1
victory over Springfield on March 26, she went 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs
scored. In their 11-2 win against Pacific University on March 22, she was
1-for-1 with 2 walks and three runs scored. She is currently among the NESCAC
leaders in home runs (4), runs batted in (14), and runs scored (18).
RBIs
is just the latest of a series of Tufts records that Drake has either captured
or is chasing. She is already the career home runs leader with 28 career long
balls (and counting). She also has set and broke the single-season home run
record in each of her three seasons. During her freshman season in 2000 she hit
seven home runs to break Tami Gaines' 11-year old record of five. The next
year, as a sophomore in 2001, Drake broke her own record by knocking out eight
home runs. Amazingly, as a junior in 2001 she again broke her own record with
nine home runs in a single season.
In
addition to home runs, she is also Tufts' career leader in slugging percentage
(.657). She is currently two short of the Tufts career doubles record with 31
and four short of the all-time total bases mark with 245.
Drake
was a Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)
Division III All-American in 2001 (Second Team) and in 2000 (Third Team). Among
many regional honors she earned are NFCA All-New England First Team selections
in 2002, 2001 and 2000.
Twenty
games into the season, the Jumbos have a 12-8 overall record, including 2-0 in
the NESCAC East conference. They entered this past week as the #5 team in New
England, as ranked by the New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches
Association. Drake and the Jumbos play two double-headers this weekend in Maine,
against conference opponents Colby and Bates.
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