Teams: Softball: Schedule & Results

COLLEGE SOFTBALL FINAL SCORES
Tufts 4, Springfield 0
Tufts 11, Springfield 1  (5 inn.)

At Medford, MA
Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

Junior shortstop Casey Sullivan homered in game one and hit a two-run single in game two

MEDFORD -- The Tufts University softball team improved to 17-0 with a double-header sweep of Springfield College (7-11) on Tuesday afternoon at Spicer Field. The games were make-ups from a rain postponement on Monday. Tufts won the opener 4-0 and took the nightcap 11-1 in five innings.

Sophomore Izzie Santone (Madison, CT) pitched her third shutout of the young season in the first game. She allowed five hits while striking out four and walking two, improving to 8-0 overall. Springfield put runners in scoring position on a few occasions, but Santone had an answer each time. In a 0-0 game at the time, Pride junior catcher Michelle Wlosek (Nutley, NJ) stroked a two-out double to the right field fence in the fourth, but Santone retired the next hitter on a ground ball to short.

In the bottom of the fourth, Tufts senior 3B Maya Ripecky (Chicago, IL) was hit by a pitch in the middle of the back. Senior 2B Danielle Lopez (Danvers, MA) followed with a fly ball to right that went for a run-scoring double and Tufts led 1-0. The Jumbos got insurance runs with the long ball. In the fifth, junior SS Casey Sullivan (Berlin, CT) lined a one-out home run to left. Junior 1B Christy Tinker (Woodbridge, CT) then went deep in the sixth to put Tufts up 3-0. They added another as the sixth continued, with a single by first-year DH Lena Cantone (Southington, CT) scoring the run.

The Pride had threatened again in the top of the sixth, started by a one-out double from senior LF Amanda Lyons (Eastchester, NY). Senior 1B Aimee Cassella (Southington, CT) lined out sharply to left for the second out, but Wlosek walked. Santone got the last out on a grounder back at her. Springfield had two runners on again in the seventh, but Santone finished the game with a foul out to Jumbo catcher Cara Hovhanessian (Farmington, CT).

Ripecky went 2 for 2 and scored twice for Tufts and Lopez was 2 for 3 with an RBI. Senior pitcher Samantha Rhodes (Mendon, MA) took the loss for the Pride, allowing nine hits and four runs in six innings. Junior DH Bryn Worrilow (North Babylon, NY) was 2 for 2 for the visitors.

After being shut out in the first game, Springfield didn't take long to score in the second game. Senior CF Angela Atkins (East Haddam, CT) led off with a walk, was sacrificed to second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored when Wlosek roped one off the fence in left for a single.

The Jumbos squashed that momentum with a five-run bottom of the first. Tinker hit a two-run double and Tufts scored twice on double-steal plays. While Tufts senior Lauren Gelmetti (Westfield, NJ) pitched 1-2-3 innings in the second and third, the Jumbos added five more runs and led 10-0. Sullivan smacked a two-run single in the second and Ripecky hit a two-run single in the third.

Facing an eight-run rule loss, Springfield got singles from Wlosek and junior SS Jaimie Moran (Manchester, CT) in the fourth, but did not score. The Jumbos loaded the bases and scored one more on Tinker's walk in the bottom of the fourth. Junior pitcher Stefanie Tong (Burlingame, CA) then recorded the final three outs in the Springfield fifth.

Tinker finished the second game 2 for 2 with four RBI and two runs scored. Ripecky was 3 for 4 with three RBI and two runs. Gelmetti improved to 7-0 in the pitcher's circle, allowing three hits and one run while striking out five. Wlosek had two of the hits for the Pride.

The Jumbos travel to Bridgewater State College for a double-header on Thursday. The Pride are right back in action tomorrow at Eastern Connecticut.

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