Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
MEDFORD, Mass. -- The Tufts University Softball team got good starting pitching from junior Lauren Gelmetti (Westfield, NJ) and sophomore Stefanie Tong (Burlingame, CA), while the bats hit six home runs in two games as the Jumbos swept a double-header over Bridgewater State College on Thursday afternoon. The wins, 10-0 in five innings and 5-1 in the nightcap, came on home opening day for the Jumbos (9-5) at Spicer Field.
Senior 2B Danielle Lopez (Danvers, MA) bombed a three-run shot in the bottom of the first in game one to get the Jumbos going. That was more than enough for Gelmetti, who would allow just three hits and no walks in four innings.
Sophomore shortstop Casey Sullivan (Berlin, CT) hit a three-run home run in the third to put Tufts up 10-0. Junior 3B Samantha Kuhles (Somerville, NJ) went 2 for 3 and scored three runs in the game. Junior LF Roni Herbst (Montclair, NJ) scored twice for Tufts, including a dash around the bases on a fielder's choice that Bridgewater threw into the outfield, scoring two runs.
Tufts continued to play long ball in game two, with Lopez again the catalyst. She hit a two-run home run in the first to put Tuft up early. Solo jacks by sophomore 1B Christy Tinker (Woodbridge, CT) in the fourth and senior 3B Heather Kleinberger (New City, NY) in the fifth put Tufts up 4-0.
Tong held the Bears to one hit through four innings until they threatened late. With the score 3-0 at the time, senior catcher Lindsey Allison (South Easton, MA) doubled in the fifth to put runners at second and third and bring the tying run to the plate. Tong squashed the threat with a groundout. Trailing 4-0 entering the sixth, the Bears broke through with their only run of the day. Tong walked senior pinch hitter Ciana Godin (Worcester, MA) with the bases loaded. However, with the tying run on first base, Tong got another groundout to end the inning.
Junior Cara Hovhanessian (Farmington, CT) hit a solo blast to put Tufts up 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth and Tong finished off her complete-game victory in the seventh.
Bridgewater senior 1B Danielle Trull-Donahue (Stoughton, MA) had the only multiple-hit game in the night cap, going 2 for 4 and scoring the Bears' run.
Junior Alyssa Verronneau (Acushnet, MA) took the loss, allowing five runs and seven hits in six innings.
For Tufts, Lopez continued an amazing run of success against Bridgewater State. In six career games against the Bears, she is now 14 for 22 (.640) with eight home runs, 16 runs batted in and 10 runs scored.