Teams: Softball: Press Releases

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

SOFTBALL PLACES FOUR ON NFCA ALL-NEW ENGLAND TEAMS
Bailey, Kuhles also earn All-Tournament honors for NCAA play

MEDFORD -- The Tufts University Softball team, which made its eighth appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament this season, has four players on the 2006 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III All-New England Region Teams.

Sophomore 2B Danielle Lopez (Danvers, MA/Danvers), the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Year, was selected to the First Team. Sophomore P/1B/DH Erica Bailey (Scottsdale, AZ/Chaparral) was picked to the Second Team. The Third Team included freshman 3B Samantha Kuhles (Somerville, NJ/Rutgers Prep) and sophomore catcher Megan Cusick (Albany, NY/Albany) from the Jumbos.

In addition, Bailey and Kuhles were named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team for their play in the recently completed tournament. Tufts won two games against Wilkes University and lost two games to Rowan University in the NCAAs to finish their season with a 28-16 record.

Lopez was among the national top 30 in Division III for home runs and RBIs according to the last release of NCAA Statistics. She finished the year with 11 home runs and 48 runs batted in, the most RBIs and second-most home runs for a season in Tufts history. Lopez hit .383, slugged .702, was on base at a .441 clip and was superb at second base with a .972 fielding percentage.

Bailey was a key contributor with her arm and with her bat for Tufts. She led the pitching staff with 64 strikeouts in 72.2 innings, while finishing among the team's top five in batting average (.333), runs batted in (23), doubles (7), home runs (2) and total bases (50). She had four wins and a 2.60 earned run average as a pitcher.

Kuhles was one of the top freshmen in the region, hitting .379 and scoring 26 runs, while adding five sacrifice bunts and stealing eight bases. The freshman became the team's starter at third base as the season progressed and finished the year with only three errors and a .963 fielding percentage.

Joining Lopez and Kuhles on the All-NESCAC First Team announced recently was Cusick, the best catcher in the league. A starter in 41 of the team's 44 games, her stellar work behind the plate was complemented with offensive production including a .320 batting average and 18 runs batted in.

At the NCAA Regional hosted by Rutgers University Camden in New Jersey, Bailey hit .333 and allowed just one run in 10.2 innings of work in the pitcher's circle for a 0.66 earned run average. Kuhles hit .364 (4/11), scored three runs and was errorless in 15 attempts at third base.

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