Tufts Softball Sweeps Bowdoin on Sunday to Improve to 6-0 in NESCAC East

MEDFORD - An eight-run sixth inning in game one and nine runs combined in the fourth and fifth innings of game two led the Tufts softball team to a double-header sweep of Bowdoin College in NESCAC East action Sunday at Spicer Field.

Samantha Siciliano had five rbis in the two games

The first game was the continuation of a contest originally started on April 2, which was postponed by rain. Trailing 6-3 with five outs remaining, the Jumbos rallied to win 11-6. In the second game, Tufts overcame a 3-2 deficit to win by run-rule 11-3 in five innings.

Tufts was leading the first game 1-0 heading into today's action, which picked up in the bottom of the third. A two-run double by sophomore LF Samantha Siciliano in the fourth gave the hosts a 3-0 advantage.

However, Bowdoin struck for six runs in the top of the fifth to take a 6-3 lead. Senior Julia Geaumont cleared the bases with a double and Samantha Valdivia and Lauren O'Shea also had rbi doubles. The Polar Bears had eight hits in the inning.

With one out in the sixth, the Jumbos rallied for eight runs to take an 11-6 lead. Siciliano, sophomore DH Cassie Ruscz, freshman SS Christian Cain, sophomore C Raven Fournier, sophomore 3B Sara Willner-Giwerc, and junior RF Marly Becker all had rbis and scored runs in the frame. Junior CF Carrie Copacino hit an rbi triple.

Siciliano finished 3 for 4 with three rbis and a run for the Jumbos in game one, while Copacino went
3 for 4 with two runs and an rbi and Cain was 2 for 4 with two rbis and a run. Ruscz and Fournier also had two hits and Becker scored twice. Erica County earned the win with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.

Geaumont led the Bowdoin offense at 2 for 4 with three rbis and a run. Valdivia finished 3 for 4 with a run and an rbi while freshman RF Caroline Rice was 3 for 4 with a run. Jordan Gowdy had two hits and an rbi and Emily Griffin also had two hits. Bowdoin finished the game with 15 hits. Griffin took the pitching loss.

Game two saw four home runs. Raso hit a solo shot in the first as the Jumbos took a 2-0 lead. Rice evened the game with a two-run homer to right in the third. Bowdoin took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when Marisa O'Toole lined a two-out home run over the center field fence.

Two Bowdoin errors (they had five in the game) extended the foruth inning and Cain's two-run home run was a part of five unearned runs for Tufts as they took a 7-3 lead. Tufts would end it in the fifth after a two-run single by Siciliano and a ground out by Raso led a four-run inning.

Raso (2 for 3, 3 rbis, 2 runs) and Cain (2 for 3, 2 runs, 2 rbis) led Tufts offensively in game two. Freshman 3B Kristen Caporelli and Willner-Giwerc both scored twice. County earned her second win of the day, fifth of the weekend, and 11th of the season giving up five hits and three runs in five innings of work.

Griffin was 2 for 3 with a run for Bowdoin. Geaumont started and took the pitching loss.

Winners of six straight, Tufts (13-6, 6-0 NESCAC) has now won 55 NESCAC East games in a row dating back to 2011. They host MIT in a double-header on Tuesday starting at 3 pm. Bowdoin (12-9-1, 3-3 NESCAC East) welcomes Southern Maine for a pair on Wednesday at 3:30.