Teams: Softball: Schedule & Results

TUFTS SWEEPS CAL LUTHERAN TO OPEN 2009 SEASON

COLLEGE SOFTBALL FINAL SCORES
Tufts 12, Cal Lutheran 6
Tufts 6, Cal Lutheran 5

At Thousand Oaks, CA
Sunday, March 15, 2009

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

Defending NESCAC Player of the Year Christy Tinker had four RBI in the double-header

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The Tufts University softball team, ranked #12 in the March 11 national poll, opened their 2009 season with a pair of impressive wins on Sunday at Cal Lutheran University. The Jumbos, facing a Regals team which had already played 17 games entering the day, won by 12-6 and 6-5 margins. The Jumbos scored 12 of their 18 total runs in the first two innings and held on for the series sweep.

In game one, the Tufts offense was in full swing right away, connecting for 10 hits and scoring nine runs over its first two innings. Junior SS Casey Sullivan (Berlin, CT) hit a two-run single in the first and junior 1B Christy Tinker (Woodbridge, CT) hit a two-run single in the second. The Jumbos extended their lead to 12-0 with a three-run fourth, two runs coming in on a single by first-year DH Lena Cantone (Southington, CT).

Facing the mercy rule, a Regals fifth-inning rally including two-run doubles from Kaitlyn Luebben-Halvorson and Emily Robertson cut the deficit to 12-5 and forced the game into a sixth inning. Cal Lutheran (12-7) managed to plate another run in the seventh before falling by six.

The Jumbos had 16 hits (14 singles) in the opener, with Tinker's three base hits and two RBI leading the way. Sophomore pitcher Izzie Santone (Madison, CT) started and relieved for the Jumbos in the game. She pitched four scoreless innings, then returned to the circle in the seventh to record the final three outs.

Luebben-Halvorson went 1 for 2 at the plate and tossed three innings allowing no earned runs for CLU.

In the second game, Tinker's two-run single in the first put Tufts up 2-1. The Regals scored in the bottom of the inning, but an RBI single by senior 3B Samantha Kuhles (Somerville, NJ) in the second made it 3-1 Tufts. A run-scoring double by Kuhles in the fourth and a triple by senior RF Maya Ripecky (Chicago, IL) leading to a run in the sixth put Tufts ahead 6-2.

In the seventh inning, Robertson, who had homered for CLU in the fifth, Lizzie Novak, Katy Bateman and Talia Ferrari all reached base safely to start the frame for the Regals. Bateman's two-run single cut the deficit to two (6-4) and an April Rosas one-out RBI fielder's choice brought the Regals within one.

With the tying run just 60 feet away and the winning run on first, a hard hit ground ball to second base was bobbled, but Tufts senior Danielle Lopez (Danvers, MA) held her composure to finish the play.

Santone finished the seventh inning giving up only a walk while recording the final three outs to pick up the save. Senior Lauren Gelmetti (Westfield, NJ) started and went six innings allowing eight hits and five runs for the win. Kuhles (2 for 4, 2 RBI) and Ripecky (2 for 3, 2 runs) led Tufts offensively.

Tufts begins play in the Sun West Tournament at Chapman University on Monday with games against Holy Names and Chapman. Cal Lutheran will return to conference play at home on Saturday, March 21 against La Verne (14-8, 6-4 SCIAC) starting at Noon.

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