Teams: Softball: Schedule & Results

COLLEGE SOFTBALL FINAL SCORE
NCAA Regional Tournament
Tufts 6, Rivier 3

At Providence, RI
Thursday, May 8, 2008

Game Box Score

Junior LF Roni Herbst was 2 for 2 with a run and an RBI in the NCAA win

PROVIDENCE -- Second-seeded Tufts University defeated seventh-seeded Rivier College, 6-3, on Thursday afternoon in game three of the NCAA Div. III New England Regional Softball Tournament, hosted by Rhode Island College. The Jumbos (29-9) advance to face third-seeded St. Joseph's tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm. The Raiders (24-13) will play an elimination game with fifth-seeded Lesley tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.

Tufts took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Junior 3B Samantha Kuhles (Somerville, NJ) led off with a bunt single to third base, then stole second. Junior CF Laura Chapman (Seattle, WA) followed with a walk and the pair moved up to second and third, respectively, on a ground out. Sophomore 1B Christy Tinker (Woodbridge, CT), who was named NESCAC Player of the Year today, plated Kuhles with a sacrifice fly to left field for the game's first run. Senior 2B Danielle Lopez (Danvers, MA) doubled in Chapman and classmate catcher Megan Cusick (Albany, NY) plated the frame's final run with an RBI infield single.

The Jumbos added an additional run in the third as junior DH Cara Hovhanessian (Farmington, CT) singled and eventually scored on Cusick's misplayed single to left field.

The Raiders finally got to Tufts junior starting pitcher Lauren Gelmetti (Westfield, NJ) in the top of the sixth, plating three runs. Freshman LF Shannon Mansfield (Pelham, NH) led off with an infield single and eventually scored on an error. Junior DH Ann Marie Day (Cornish, ME) pulled Rivier within one with a two-run single. Gelmetti got out of the inning with a ground out with two aboard.

Tufts added two insurance runs in the home half of the frame. Sophomore SS Casey Sullivan (Berlin, CT) reached on a two-out single, stole second and scored on junior LF Roni Herbst's (Montclair, NJ) RBI triple that took a wild hop over Mansfield in left field. The Jumbos added another run as Herbst scored on an error.

Gelmetti earned the win (10-2), allowing three runs on eight hits, while striking out six. Rivier sophomore starting pitcher Monica White (Augusta, ME) took the loss (20-8), allowing six runs, only four of which were earned, on 11 hits.

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