Jumbos blow out Blue to close out spring break trip

Powered by a six-RBI performance by senior tri-captain first baseman Cassie Ruscz,the Jumbos (9-5) torched the Wellesley Blue (1-1) in the last installment of their 14-game road trip to Clermont, Fla. The Jumbos won 12-2 in five innings on March 25.

Wellesley opened the scoring in the top half of the first inning. After first-year utility player Sequoia Johnson singled and reached second on a sacrifice bunt, senior outfielder Anna Pisac doubled to right field to give the Blue an early 1-0 advantage. Tufts immediately responded in the bottom half of the inning, when senior first baseman Summer Horowitz absorbed an errant pitch to plate Ruscz and tie the game.

The Jumbos' offense then exploded for six runs in the second inning, capped by a team-leading fourth home run for Ruscz. With the bases loaded and nobody out, the Wolcott, Conn. native redirected a pitch over the left field fence to give Tufts a 7-1 advantage.An inning later, two Jumbos -- junior catcher/outfielder Raven Fournier and Ruscz -- hit two-run doubles, and junior catcher Sarah Finnigan added an RBI single to increase Tufts' lead to 12-1.An RBI single by Pisac in the top of fifth served as a mere consolation run for the Blue.

Three Tufts pitchers performed well in the contest. Junior Raina Galbiati, first-year Allison Tilton and sophomore Amolee Hawkins combined to hold Wellesley to two runs and seven hits while striking out nine and walking one.

Earlier that day, Tufts beat the University of Chicago (7-4), 3-1.First-year pitcher and first baseman Gillian O’Connor shone, tossing her second consecutive complete game.The game-winning runs crossed the plate in the sixth inning, when Galbiati smacked a two-run double to center field to break a 1-1 tie.

The Jumbos began March 24 by beating the Hope Flying Dutchmen (9-3), 6-3.Tufts faced an early deficit against Hope, but took a 4-2 lead in the fifth when Ruscz hit a three-run home run.Senior outfielder Maggie Hoffman and sophomore infielder Kristen Caporelli tacked on insurance runs in the sixth and seventh to secure the victory.

Later that day, the Jumbos silenced Fontbonne Griffins (2-10), 5-0. Tilton notched her first win, scattering four hits and striking out nine batters in a complete game.All five Jumbo runs came in the bottom of the sixth inning, beginning with an RBI walk by first-year infielder Casey Maggiore.The very next at-bat, first-year infielder Jamie Stevens -- pinch hitting for junior catcher Sara Willner-Giwerc -- slapped a two-run double to break the game open. An RBI groundout by senior tri-captain outfielder Carrie Copacino and an RBI single by sophomore infielder Christian Cain sealed the win for the Jumbos.

According to Cain, the four-game winning streak that closed out the trip to Florida demonstrated the team's progress and growth.

"When we first started our first set of games, we were just getting used to playing as a team for the first time, and we hadn’t congealed yet. We weren’t a cohesive unit yet," she said. "As we progressed in the tournament, things began to solidify. I think by the end of the tournament, we really [had] turned a new page and got to see the potential of the team. And we haven’t yet reached that potential, but we’re very aware that we are capable of going all the way."

On March 23, the Jumbos out-slugged the Worcester State Lancers (2-8), 12-4, before falling to the No. 9 Luther Norse (16-2), 8-0.Both games lasted five innings. Against Worcester State, Tufts scored nine runs in the first inning and never looked backed. Later that day, however, the Norse shut down the Jumbos’ offense on the back of senior pitcher Annie Versnik, who allowed just four singles in five shutout innings. Junior infielder Natalie Stockman tripled and homered, driving in five runs in the first two frames.

Tufts won both games on March 21. The Jumbos began the day with a comeback 8-6 victory against the Benedictine Eagles (5-5). Facing a 6-0 deficit after five frames, the Jumbos hit four home runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Tufts took the lead for good in the top of the seventh, when Horowitz slugged a three-run shot to left.

Later that same day, Tufts beat Worcester State, 10-2, in six innings. Two first-year pitchers, O’Connor and Maria Ostapovich, combined to limit the Lancers to just three hits. Seven Jumbos plated runs, and Stevens posted her first multi-hit game for the team.

Tufts lost both games on March 20, falling to No. 15 St. Catherine (10-6), 6-1, and Fontbonne, 6-3.Junior pitcher/infielder Krista Flugstad had a strong outing for St. Catherine, holding Tufts to just one run on four hits in seven innings. The only Tufts run came on an RBI groundout by Hoffman in the third inning.

In the later game, a four-run third by the Griffins condemned the Jumbos to a third consecutive defeat. Tufts suffered from an uneven offensive performance, as four players had multiple hits while eight other batters failed to record a single hit.

On March 19, Tufts beat Buffalo State (4-12), 11-3, before losing to Clarkson (9-7), 17-9.Both games concluded after the sixth inning.In the earlier contest, Hoffman led the Jumbos offense. The Avon, Mass. native went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and fell just a triple short of the cycle.

Against Clarkson, Hoffman again went 4-for-4, though she failed to knock any runs in. Additionally, Caporelli slugged her first career home run – a grand slam – in the fifth inning. Not for the first time, however, the Jumbos succumbed to inopportune errors, as eight of Clarkson’s 17 runs were unearned.

On March 18, Tufts fell to No. 11 Linfield (17-3), 4-2. Tilton performed admirably in her Jumbo debut, giving up only one earned run in seven innings of work. Four errors, however, doomed Tufts and allowed three unearned Linfield runs to cross the plate.

According to Stevens, fielding errors should not be a problem in the long run.

"I'm not too worried about it, personally. It's been a while since anyone has played on dirt and not all of us have played next to each other on the field, so we're all still learning how each person plays, their ranges," Stevens told the Daily in an email. "Everyone on the team is so talented, and because of this, we are still trying to figure out the best roles for each person to fill. As we move people around, there are bound to be a few errors. [However,] I'm optimistic."

Cain also referred to the difficulties of readjusting to outside playing conditions.

"That’s attributed to not having played on a real softball field since October," she said. "We hadn’t played on dirt since preseason, so getting used to actually playing on a real field is an adjustment for sure. But I think [that] by the end of the week, we were pretty much completely adjusted. Hopefully by this week, we’ll be able to go on the field and be completely acclimated to the dirt."

Earlier that day, in their season debut, the Jumbos blanked the Plymouth State Panthers (8-6), 4-0.Galbiati and O’Connor combined to throw seven shutout innings, while Ruscz socked a pair of two-run shots in her first two at-bats.

Reflecting on the team's spring break trip, Stevens expressed optimism.

"I think we had a good showing for our first few games but that there is room for improvement," she said. "I think that we will continue to grow as a team as we strive to achieve the high goals that we have set for ourselves."

The Jumbos resume play on March 30 with a double-header against the visiting Eastern Connecticut State Warriors (2-8). The first game at Spicer Field begins at 3 p.m.