Courtesy Wesleyan Sports Information

Box Score

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - Tufts captured its second straight NESCAC title and fifth in the eight-year history of the tournament by playing long ball during Game 7 of the 2008 NESCAC Softball Championship at Wesleyan, winning 10-3. Nine of the Tufts runs came on three three-run homers, giving the Jumbos 30 home runs on the season.

Tufts locked up the victory when sophomore Jenna Robey, inserted as a pinch-hitter in the 6th inning, sent one over the fence in left field with both juniors Roni Herbst and Sam Kuhles on base with singles. That made it a 7-3 game as Tufts had been holding onto a tight 4-3 lead, after Wesleyan stranded the potential tying run on third base in the top of the inning. After a base hit by junior Cara Hovhenessian, her third of the game and a tournament record ninth on the weekend, and a single by sophomore Christy Tinker, senior Danielle Lopez followed with her fifth home run of the season and 24th of her career to make it 10-3

Wesleyan was retired without trouble in the 7th inning as Tufts recorded its second double play of the contest after a leadoff walk to senior Marcia Whitehead and got the final out on an infield pop. Whitehead finished the game with two hits for Wesleyan, hit safely in all five tournament games for the Cardinals. She broke the Wesleyan single-season record for hits with 51, one better than the previous mark of 50. She also is the college's all-time leader for hits with 173.

Wesleyan had forced a seventh and deciding game in the NESCAC tournament by defeating Tufts, 3-2, on Saturday, one of three games won by the Cardinals in the tournament. The Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning of the championship game Sunday as senior Becca Feiden slugged a two-run single into left field to score senior Karla Hargrave and junior Molly O'Connell, both of whom had singles.

But Tufts answered right back as junior Maya Ripecky hit the first of the three round-trippers for the Jumbos in the bottom of the frame with both sophomore Casey Sullivan and Lopez aboard. Tufts improved its lead to 4-2 in the 3rd inning on an RBI double to the left-field corner by senior Megan Cusick. Wesleyan cut the gap to 4-3 when senior Jo Brownson smacked an RBI single to center in the 5th inning.

Tufts starter freshman Izzie Santone went four innings while giving up eight hits and three runs. Junior Lauren Gelmetti spelled her after two Cardinals reached base to start the 5th inning and yielded just one hit over her three innings of work, gaining her first save of the season.

2008 NESCAC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Day 1 - Friday, May 2 at Wesleyan
Game 1 - E2 Trinity 7, at W1 Wesleyan 0
Game 2 - E1 Tufts 7, vs. W2 Williams 0

Day 2 - Saturday, May 3 at Wesleyan
Game 3 - W1 Wesleyan 13, vs. W2 Williams 3
Game 4 - E1 Tufts 11, vs. E2 Trinity 1 - 6 inn
Game 5 - W1 Wesleyan 8, vs. E2 Trinity 2
Game 6 - W1 Wesleyan 3, vs. E1 Tufts 2

Day 3 - Sunday, May 4 at Wesleyan
Game 7 - E1 Tufts 10, vs. W1 Wesleyan 3