WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Lesley University softball team cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning, but Tufts University answered with seven runs in the bottom of the inning to take game one of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Williamstown Regional this afternoon at Cole Field.
Lesley University senior Allison Fountain (Cheshire, Conn.) led the offense with a perfect 2-for-2 effort at the plate, connecting for a pair of singles while sophomore Angela Mukai (Amherst, N.H.) finished 1-for-3, just missing a home run with a double off the centerfield fence. Junior Jodee Doka (Sacramento, Calif.) scored the lone run for the Lynx while sophomore Jess Reynolds (Londonderry, N.H.) picked up an RBI.
The Lynx will next play the loser of game two between Endicott College and host Williams College tomorrow at 1:30p on Cole Field.
Lesley applied pressure right off the bat in the top of the first inning. Fountain led off the inning with a single to left field and was promptly moved to second on a sacrifice-bunt by freshman Carlyn Barker (Marietta, Calif.). After a groundout recorded the second out of the inning, Doka drew a walk to put two runners on, but Tufts starter Lauren Giglio (Niskayuna, N.Y.) forced a fly ball to right field to escape the jam.
After Lesley hurler Alyson Nisbet (Clovis, Calif.) recorded the first two outs in the bottom of the first, senior Jo Clair (Glastonbury, Conn.) connected for her 19th home run of the season to give the Jumbos a 1-0 lead.
The Lynx nearly tied up the game in the top of the second inning on a drive to centerfield off the bat of Nisbet, but the ball got knocked down by the wind, keeping it in the park and settling for a catch on the warning track.
Tufts would add their second run of the game in the bottom of the third inning. Junior Bri Keenan (Portsmouth, N.H.) led off the inning with a double to centerfield and came around one batter later when Michelle Cooprider (Hopkinton, Mass.) sent an RBI single up the middle to increase the cushion to 2-0.
Lesley would leave another pair of runners on base in the top of the fifth inning before they finally broke through for a tally in the top of the sixth. Doka started the rally with one out when she reached on an error in the Tufts infield. Mukai followed with a double off the centerfield wall to put runners on second and third with one out. Reynolds would bring home Doka with a sacrifice-fly into foul ground in right field to cut the lead in half, 2-1, Giglio limited the damage to just the single run, stranding Mukai at third as she induced a ground ball for the final out of the inning.
After the first two batters reached with free passes to start off the bottom the of sixth, the Jumbos would push across a run on error in the Lynx outfield before connecting for four straight hits that led toa seven-run inning, ending the game for the 9-1 win. Cooprider ended the game with her second home run of the season, a three-run shot to centerfield.
Giglio earned the win with the complete-game effort, allowing three hits and three walks, as she improved to 13-1 on the season.