Teams: Softball: Schedule & Results

TUFTS TOPS WELLESLEY IN EXTRA INNINGS, 1-0

COLLEGE SOFTBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 1 Wellesley 0

At Wellesley, MA
Tuesday, April 4, 2006

Game Box Score

WELLESLEY - The Tufts University Softball team beat Wellesley College, 1-0, in extra innings on Tuesday afternoon. With the win, Tufts improves to 10-8 on the season and is now 6-0 up north. The Wellesley Blue drop to 10-6 overall.

The game was originally scheduled to be played at Tufts University's Spicer Field. But rain overnight left Spicer unplayable and the game was moved to Wellesley, with Tufts remaining as the home team in the box score. That would prove critical, as the game went to the international tie-breaker twice tied at 0-0.

After neither team scored in the eighth - Jumbo sophomore catcher Megan Cusick (Albany, NY) picked the Wellesley runner off second - Tufts began the ninth with Maya Ripecky (Chicago, IL) on second due to the tie-breaker. Freshman LF Laura Chapman (Seattle, WA) bunted, and when Wellesley tried to get the out at third, everyone was safe. Junior CF Annie Ross (Newton, MA) bunted again, reaching to load bases. That brought NESCAC Player of the Week Danielle Lopez (Danvers, MA) to the plate. The NESCAC's leading home run hitter was walked by Wellesley's Jenna Harvey to give Tufts the 1-0 victory.

Offense was nearly non-existent in a game played in cold, damp conditions. n the low scoring affair, Ripecky and Erica Bailey (Scottsdale, AZ) had the two lone hits for the Jumbos against Harvey, who struck out nine. Wellesley sophomore Christine Sodaro had two of the Blue's five hits against Tufts pitcher Lauren Gelmetti (Westfield, NJ), who went nine innings allowing five hits and no runs while striking out eight.

Sodaro reached second base by error with one out in the sixth and went to third on a fielder's choice by Laura Weslander, who was also safe. However, Tufts turned a double play when freshman SS Megan Foley (Worcester, MA) threw to freshman 1B Cara Hovhanessian (Farmington, CT) for a put-out, then Hovhanessian fired back to Foley to catch Weslander drifting off second. In the ninth, pinch runner Meghan Sullivan started the inning on second base. Sodaro had a bunt single, moving Sullivan to third, then tried to initiate a rundown that would allow Sullivan to score. However, Lopez threw to Ross at second to erase Sodaro, and Sullivan was held at third. Gelmetti then recorded the third out by strike out.

For Tufts, Ripecky doubled and went to third on an error in the third. She was cut down at the plate on a ground ball to third.

Tufts hosts two against traditional New England power Bridgewater State College on Thursday. Wellesley Softball will host Amherst College on Thursday afternoon as well.

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