Box Score Recap courtesy of Bowdoin College
BRUNSWICK, ME - An rbi single by senior CF Michelle Cooprider in the top of the sixth inning delivered the game-winning run as the Tufts Softball team won the NESCAC East pennant with a 5-4 victory at Bowdoin College on Sunday afternoon.
The victory improved the #1 ranked Jumbos to 27-0 overall and 9-0 in the East. With a three-game divisional series at home against Colby College next weekend (April 24-25), the Jumbos can't be caught. By virtue of finishing first in the East this season, Tufts earned the right to host the conference championship at Spicer Field May 1-3. This is the team's 11th straight NESCAC East crown and 13th overall.
With the score tied 0-0 today, the Jumbos put two on the board in the third as Cassie Ruscz crushed a two-run shot to dead center. The home run was her sixth of the season.
However, the Polar Bears responded in the bottom half of the inning, taking the lead, sparked by a two-run rbi from Adriane Krul. Cielle Collins drove in Krul from second with a sacrifice fly to deep right field to give Bowdoin a 3-2 lead. Julia Geaumont pushed another run across the plate with an rbi single that drove in Marisa O'Toole who had been on second after a base hit and passed ball.
The Jumbos tied the game with two runs in the fifth. Gracie Marshall tallied an rbi single to pull Tufts within one. Tufts then capitalized on a throwing error at the plate to even the score at 4-4.
Senior pitcher Allyson Fournier came in to shut down the Bowdoin offense through the final four innings, tallying 11 strikeouts with one hit allowed. In the top of the sixth, senior 3B Bri Keenan hit a one-out single and went to second when Ruscz reached on a fielder's choice. Cooprider followed with the two-out, game-winning rbi.
Ruscz finished 2 for 4 with the two rbis and run for Tufts. Cooprider was 2 for 3 with a run and an rbi. Krul was 2 for 4 with two rbis and a run atop the Polar Bears' batting order.
Erica County started in the circle for Tufts and pitched three innings with six hits allowed and one K. Emily Griffin went all seven innings for Bowdoin tallying a pair of strikeouts in the process.
The Jumbos start a busy week on Tuesday with a double-header at MIT beginning at 3 pm. Bowdoin, which has clinched the #2 seed in the East and a spot in the conference tourney, will host St. Joseph's College (ME) for a pair on Wednesday at 3:30 pm.
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