BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Junior right-hander Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) hurled a complete game three-hitter, and senior third baseman Brianna DeNucci (Newton, Mass.) drove in the in game-tying and winning runs, to lead the Bridgewater State University softball team to a 2-1 victory over sixth-ranked Tufts University in game one of a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Park. The visiting Jumbos earned the split of the twinbill with an 11-0 victory in game two.
The host Bears see their record go to 15-13 with the split, while the Jumbos are now 28-3 as their ten-game winning streak came to an end.
In the opener, White (9-5) allowed just an unearned run in the second inning as she fanned two batters and did not give up a walk.
Despite committing five errors over the first four innings and six in the game, the Bears trailed just 1-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth thanks to the outstanding pitching of White.
In the fifth, senior left fielder Melissa Harmon (Shrewsbury, Mass.) started the comeback with a one-out single to left and advanced to second on a walk by sophomore shortstop Jocelyn Bettencourt (Plymouth, Mass.). After the runners moved up on a ground out, DeNucci lined a two-run double past the first baseman and down the right field line to give the Bears the 2-1 lead.
White, who did not allow a hit after the fourth inning, retired 12 of the last 14 batters she faced to secure the upset victory for the Bears.
DeNucci was the only player with multiple hits in game one as she finished 2-for-2 and added a sacrifice bunt.
Senior right-hander Aly Moskowitz (Westfield, N.J.) pitched well in her first loss of the season for the Jumbos. Moskowitz (7-1) gave up two runs on four hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.
In game two, Tufts exploded for ten runs in the third inning on their way to the 11-0, five-inning win. The game was stopped after the fifth due to the eight-run mercy rule.
Tufts sophomore Allyson Fournier (South Windsor, Conn.) continued her stellar season in the circle as she was nearly unhittable. Fournier (14-1), who has fanned 144 batters in 76 1/3 innings this season, struck out 14 of the 16 batters she faced and allowed just an infield single to lead off the fifth.
BSU senior Meghan Dunn (Colchester, Conn.) suffered the loss for the Bears as she worked the first three innings. White hurled two scoreless innings of relief with a pair of strikeouts.
Senior shortstop Emily Beinecke (Concord, Mass.), junior catcher Jo Clair (Glastonbury, Conn.), junior designated player Kayla Holland (Attleboro, Mass.), freshman second baseman Abby Curran (Hamilton, Mass.) and sophomore left fielder Bri Keenan (Portsmouth, N.H.) paced the Jumbos' 12-hit attack with two hits apiece.
Beinecke (2-for-4) finished with three RBI and scored a run, while Claire (2-for-4) belted her eighth home run of the season, a two-run blast. Holland (2-for-4) doubled twice and scored a pair of runs. Curran (2-for-4) scored two runs, drove in one and added a stolen base, while Keenan (2-for-3) doubled, drove in two runs and scored one.
Sophomore right fielder Jessica Laudati (Berkley, Mass.) had the lone hit of the game for the Bears.
In upcoming action, Bridgewater travels to Salem State University on Saturday afternoon for a MASCAC twinbill with the Vikings starting at two. Tufts is off until Tuesday, April 23 when they travel to Endicott College for a non-conference doubleheader with the Gulls beginning at 3:30 PM.