The softball team dropped two more games yesterday at home against the Bridgewater State Bears, falling 5-1 in the opener and 2-1 in the second game. The losses dropped the Jumbos record to 5-11.
After a hot 5-1 start, the Jumbos have dropped 10 straight, including four since returning home from their spring break trip to California.
Senior Pam Swidler took the mound in the first game and didn't pitch poorly, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits in seven innings, striking out three and walking three in the loss.
But the Jumbos' offense was nonexistent in the game, as they were held to one run or less for the sixth time in ten games. The offense was shut down by sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Gambino, who pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on three hits, striking out nine.
The Jumbos defense showed slight signs of improvement, only committing two errors in the contest, although they lead to two unearned runs.
"We just didn't have the run support to win either game," senior tri-captain Deana Davidian said. "I think we just had an off day, the umpire had a wide strike zone but we can't blame anything on that, both of their pitchers were decent but we could have hit them."
Defensively, game two was a different story. Jumbo pitcher sophomore Sarah Conroy struggled a bit in the first inning, allowing one run on three hits. She settled down and threw zeroes until the top of the sixth inning, when two costly errors by sophomore third baseman Laura Spring and two wild pitches by Conroy allowed to Bears to tack on what would turn out to be the game winning run.
"We definitely struggled on defense in the first game, and in the second game," Davidian said. "We have two new third basemen and we just need to work with them to get things straightened out."
The Jumbos still couldn't find a rhythm on offense, however. Bears pitcher Katie Tauber took a no-hitter into the seventh, when the Jumbos finally got a rally going. Davidian led off with a single to get things started for Tufts. Junior shortstop Courtney Bongiolatti followed Davidian with a single of her own, and junior first baseman Katie Smith walked to load the bases.
Senior tri-captain Julie Fox singled home a run in the cleanup spot, which proved to be the final batter for Tauber. With the bases full and nobody out, the Jumbos seemed assured of at least knotting the score. However, the Bears brought Gambino back into the game, and she struck out the next two Jumbo hitters and got the third out on a pop fly in the infield to secure the save.
Tufts looks to bounce back from yesterday's contests when it faces one of its most important two day stretches of the season. Today, the squad will face off against the Bowdoin Polar Bears in a makeup doubleheader that was cancelled last weekend due to rain. The squad will then head to Bates on Saturday afternoon for a double dip with the Bobcats in Lewiston, Maine, with the first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
Tufts will have to be on top of its game defensively in order for it to be successful against its two foes. The squad's offense has been the most dominant in the NESCAC-East thus far this season, but its woeful defense has caused it many problems in recent games. The three errors per game that the Jumbos average is not fully indicative of the consistently poor defense that the team has played, and it will need to sharpen its skills in the field to be competitive.
Bowdoin, who like the Jumbos, has yet to play a NESCAC game, is currently 9-5 overall on the season. The Jumbos split last season's series with the Bears, but know they can win both if they stay sharp in the field and at the plate. Junior ace Caroline Greico will take the mound for Tufts, looking to lead the team to its first victory since March 23. Sophomore hurler Julia Brenta will get the nod for game two.
"We started to play Bowdoin last weekend, and I definitely felt that there was a difference in the atmosphere," Davidian said. "We had extra motivation and fire in us because it's our first NESCAC game. We'll be up for them, and I'm really confident that we're going to beat them and break our losing streak."
Saturday afternoon in Lewiston, the Jumbos will look to freshman Lauren Ebstein and either Swidler or Greico.
The Bobcats have already played two NESCAC contests, getting crushed 12-5 and 4-0 by the Trinity Bantams last Saturday afternoon. Despite this, the Jumbos aren't taking the game lightly.
"I think we're a much stronger team than Bates," Davidian said. "Even if we struggle on offense, defense, or both, I think we should beat them fairly easily."
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