Box Score
MEDFORD - Senior catcher Jo Clair blasted a three-run home run in the first game and junior CF Michelle Cooprider's double in the bottom of the sixth sparked a game-winning rally in the nightcap as the #4 Tufts softball team swept Bowdoin, 4-0 and 3-1, on Sunday at Spicer Field.
The pair of NESCAC East wins give head coach Cheryl Milligan's team 30 straight victories in the division dating back to 2011. The Jumbos, who swept a three-game divisional series against Trinity on Friday and Saturday, are now 21-3 overall and 5-0 in the NESCAC East.
Bowdoin, which received two well-pitched games from first-year Emiily Nelson and senior Melissa DellaTorre, dropped to 16-8 overall and 5-3 in the division.
Griffin gave up just two hits in game one, but the first was a three-run home run by Clair in the first inning after sophomore SS Christina Raso and senior LF Sara Hedtler had walked.
Tufts manufactured its fourth run after junior 3B Bri Keenan led off the second with a walk. She moved to second on a wild pitch, took third on a ground out and then scored on another ground out by Cooprider.
Tufts junior starter Allyson Fournier had a no-hitter through five innings. However, the Polar Bears loaded the bases with one out on consecutive singles by junior 3B Adriane Krul, Griffin and sophomore catcher Nicole Nelson in the sixth. However, Fournier beared down and struck out the next to batters to end the threat.
Improving to 10-0 this spring, Fournier allowed the three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings. Nelson (5-3) gave up two hits, walked four and struck out three in six innings for the Polar Bears.
In game two, the score was tied 1-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Tufts first-year 1B Summer Horowitz singled and then Cooprider followed with her double to the left-center gap putting runners at second and third. When Hedtler slapped a ball to short, Bowdoin tried cut down Horowitz at the plate but the throw got away and Cooprider scored as well for a 3-1 Tufts lead.
Bowdoin out-hit Tufts again in the second game, 8-6. Both teams would leave 10 runners on base as Tufts senior Lauren Giglio dueled DellaTorre. Twice Bowdoin stranded runners on third and the Jumbos left six in scoring position.
The Jumbos scored unearned in the first after Raso singled. Bowdoin couldn't make the play on a fielder's choice at second and Raso eventually scored on a single by junior 2B Gracie Marshall. The Polar Bears would make four errors in the game overall.
Bowdoin tied the score at 1-1 in the fourth after a lead-off single by senior Hanna Wurgaft. She was sacrificed to second by junior LF Cielle Collins and scored on a pair of wild pitches.
After Tufts took the 3-1 lead in the sixth, Griffin had a one-out single in the top of the seventh to keep Bowdoin's hopes alive. However, Giglio sandwiched two fly-ball outs around a walk to earn the win. She improved to 8-1 going seven innings allowing eight hits and one run with nine strikeouts and three walks.
Horowitz went 2 for 3 to lead Tufts offensively in game two.
Griffin and Wurgaft were both 3 for 4 to pace the Bowdoin bats in the nightcap. DellaTorre took the loss giving up six hits and three runs (one earned) with three K's and two walks in six innings.
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