Monday, May 5, 2003

SOFTBALL TO PLAY IN SEVENTH STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENT

MEDFORD – A season as "road warriors" has suited the Tufts University Softball team just fine this spring. Thirty-three of the team's 36 games so far have been played away from home. The Jumbos are 22-11 in those games, including 17-4 since returning from their spring trip to California in late March.

Head Coach Kris Herman's team hits the road again this week to play in its seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament. The NCAA New England Regional opens on Friday (May 9) at Wheaton College with Tufts as the #1 seed for the first time. The Jumbos will play the winner of the Western New England College/Keene State College opening game at 2:00.

Despite its #1 seed, Tufts will travel to the regionals like always. Due to the poor weather this spring, the Jumbos had only a double-header sweep of Springfield College on March 26 and an 11-3 victory over Brandeis Univeristy on April 23 at Spicer Field in Medford. The team has made the best out of a situation that is out of their control.

"We have a rule in our program called the two-second rule," Herman said. "If there's something you want to complain about, you have two seconds to do so. I think we have turned all of our time on the road this year into a positive. Van trips are fun, and we have a team that's really close anyway because we have great captains. The karma is good."

The team had hoped to host the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championships this past weekend, but Colby College intervened. Both teams finished 6-2 in the NESCAC East Division, but the Mules earned the right to host by winning a run differential tie-breaker. Two-time NESCAC champions, Tufts still entered the tournament as the team to beat despite its second seed in the East Division.

It appeared as if the Jumbos would breeze to their third straight NESCAC title. They won their opening game, 4-0, over #1 West Division seed Williams College on Saturday (May 3) after rain postponed play on Friday. Sophomore P Caroline Grieco (Manasquan, NJ/Wall) went the distance, allowing just six hits and no walks. Junior 2B Deana Davidian (Pelham, NY/Pelham) went 4 for 4 with two runs scored.

Tufts then gained a measure of revenge against Colby, moving past them into Sunday's championship round with another 4-0 win on Saturday. Junior Pam Swidler (Stamford, CT/Stamford) earned the shut out, allowing only five hits and no walks in seven innings. Sophomore SS Courtney Bongiolatti (Locust, NJ/Middletown) was 2 for 3, including a home run, with two runs scored and two RBIs.

Williams College interrupted Tufts' march to the title, forcing a seventh and final game with a 2-1 victory over the Jumbos on Sunday (May 4). The Jumbos prevailed with a 4-1 victory in the championship final. Grieco allowed just four hits, one run and a walk in seven innings. Junior 3B Julie Fox (Willow Springs, IL/Lyons Township) ripped a bases-clearing double to highlight a four-run fourth inning. Tufts improved to 25-11 overall, and 20-4 up north.

The Jumbos enter the NCAA Tournament with a pitching staff that has been a pleasant surprise and a "Murderer's Row" on offense that is equal to any in New England. Second seed and host Wheaton College is the only team in the regional that Tufts played during the regular-season. The Jumbos won 2-1 behind the pitching of freshman Julia Brenta (San Anselmo, CA/Redwood).

Grieco (9-3, 1.63 earned run average), Swidler (8-3, 2.73) and Brenta (4-3, 2.36) represent the deepest staff Tufts has ever brought to the national tournament. That trio, along with junior Maggie McClory (Melrose, MA/Melrose) and freshman Sarah Conroy (Biddeford, ME/Biddeford), was the team's top question mark entering the season after the graduation of All-American pitcher Jodie Moreau. Twenty-five wins with a 2.44 earned run average, including a 1.66 mark since returning from their trip, have provided a firm answer. Grieco, Swidler and Brenta allowed just 20 hits and one walk in 27 innings at the NESCAC tournament.

"I've been impressed with all of them, that's for sure," Herman said. "They pitch to their spots and we do our best to see what are the hitter's strengths and weaknesses. They also have an unbelievable catcher who is not only physically talented, but loves to call the game and shows them a lot of confidence."

The catcher is two-time All-American and clean-up hitter Lis Drake (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford), who along with senior RF Nikki Blotner (San Diego, CA/Patrick Henry) started for the Jumbos when they won the NCAA New England Regional and advanced to the College World Series in 2000.

For the team to continue past Regionals this season, they will need to correct a trend of not hitting in the playoffs. The talent is lined up in a row. With Bongiolatti batting third, Drake fourth, Fox fifth and sophomore 1B Katie Smith (Convent Station, NJ/Morristown) fifth, Tufts has 24 home runs and 123 runs batted in from the heart of its order. Bongiolatti leads the team at .426 with seven home runs, 31 runs batted in and nine stolen bases. Drake, the career home runs and RBIs record-holder at Tufts, is hitting .388 with seven home runs, 34 runs scored and 27 runs batted in. Fox enters the tournament at .404 with six home runs and 32 RBIs. Smith led the team in RBIs with 33 while hitting .339 with seven doubles, two triples and four home runs. Add to that the top-of-the-order hitting of Davidian, who set a NESCAC record with eight hits in the tournament and is hitting .353 with eight doubles.

"One of our rallying cries this year has been ‘Hit in May,'" Herman said. "We hit this past weekend better than we've hit in May any time in a long time. We have never had a lineup like this in terms of power and consistency. They can all hit a home run, obviously. They can all hit a screamer to the gap. They are confident going into the tournament, and if the rest of the order gets on base we should score some runs."

Tufts is 10-12 overall in NCAA Tournament play. They won three tournament games in both 2001 and 2000. In the other four years they went 1-2 at the Regionals, including last season.

The other first round game will pit Endicott versus Fitchburg State, with the winner to take on Wheaton. Play continues on Saturday and Sunday, and then on Monday if necessary.

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