Softball | Still perfect: Softball moves to 34-0 with doubleheader sweep of Endicott

    With the rap music blaring at Spring Fling just down the road on Saturday afternoon, the only thing ludicrous at Spicer Field was the Jumbos' play, as nationally ranked No. 5 Tufts kept its unblemished record intact with two wins over Endicott College, remaining sharp before hosting the conference tournament later this week.
    Endicott, who entered the doubleheader as winners of 16 straight games, ran into a stiff Jumbo defense on Senior Day. In the latter contest, an 8-5 Tufts win, Jumbo sophomore hurler Izzie Santone improved to 16-0 on the season, scattering 12 hits over the complete-game effort.
    At the plate in the second game, Tufts took advantage of two Endicott errors, pounding out 11 hits. Senior quad-captain Laura Chapman led the assault with three hits and two runs, while classmate Maya Ripecky added a pair of hits and two RBIs. All but one of the hitters in the Jumbos' lineup recorded a hit, as Tufts used four-run innings in both the first and fifth frames to surge ahead.
    Senior pitcher Lauren Gelmetti earned the win in the first game, working all seven innings for her 14th win of the year and giving up just one run in Tufts' 4-1 victory. Senior quad-captain Samantha Kuhles and junior Casey Sullivan each had two hits and drove in a pair of runs.
    With the two wins, the Jumbos solidified their stranglehold on the New England region and now only have a doubleheader at Brandeis on Tuesday before kicking off the NESCAC Tournament on Friday.