Teams: Softball: Press Releases

Monday, May 5, 2008

CUSICK, GELMETTI ARE NESCAC'S PLAYER AND PITCHER OF THE WEEK AFTER JUMBOS WIN TITLE

MEDFORD -- From among many fine performances by Tufts University softball players while the team was winning the 2008 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championship this past weekend (May 2-4) at Wesleyan University, senior catcher Megan Cusick (Albany, NY) and junior pitcher Lauren Gelmetti (Westfield, NJ) were nominated for and selected as the conference's Player and Pitcher of the week, respectively.

Junior pitcher Lauren Gelmetti

Senior co-captain and catcher Megan Cusick

Tufts won its second straight league title and its fifth overall. The Jumbos defeated Williams College in their opening action on Friday, 7-0. Coach Cheryl Milligan's Jumbos won the winner's bracket game against Trinity College, 11-1, on Saturday. Wesleyan forced a seventh and deciding game in the tournament on Sunday, which Tufts won 10-3 to capture the championship.

Cusick caught every inning for the Jumbos and was smashing the ball at the plate all weekend. She hit .462 in the four games (6/13) with a team-high six RBI and four runs scored. She was 2 for 2 with a walk, two RBI and two runs scored in the opening win against Williams. In the winner's bracket game against Trinity, she went 2 for 4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs. Cusick then ripped two doubles and finished 2 for 4 with an RBI in Sunday's championship game against Wesleyan.

Gelmetti pitched effectively in three of the four games for Tufts. She had a win and a save, a 0.70 earned run average in 10 innings pitched and allowed just four hits and a .133 batting average against. Gelmetti started the winner's bracket game against Trinity and allowed just two hits and one run in six innings. In the championship final against Wesleyan, she came on in relief and quieted the Cardinals on one hit and no runs in three innings. She also threw an inning in the Williams game, allowing a hit and no runs.

Cusick and Gelmetti are the fifth and sixth different Tufts players to earn NESCAC weekly honors this season. Tied for the team lead in walks with 11, Cusick is hitting .363 in 36 games with two home runs and 24 RBI. Gelmetti is the team's top winner at 9-2 with a 2.38 earned run average. Her overall batting average against of .230 is the best in the conference.

Tufts (28-9) is now preparing to make its 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. They open up against Rivier College on Thursday at 2:00 pm in the first round of the NCAA regional hosted by Rhode Island College in Providence, Rhode Island.

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