FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

May 10, 2007

 

2007 NCAA Div. III Softball Tournament
New England Region Score Report

Providence, RI

 

GAME FOUR

 

 

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

R

H

E

#7 Emerson College (22-17)

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

#2 Tufts University (29-11)

0

1

0

2

0

0

0

3

11

2

 

Tufts Blanks Emerson, 3-0
Cusick Paces 11-Hit Attack

Providence, RI—The second-seeded Tufts University softball team advanced in the championship bracket of the 2007 NCAA Division III Softball New England Regional Tournament, defeating seventh-seeded Emerson College, 3-0, this afternoon at the Dayna A. Bazar Softball Complex. The Jumbos pounded out 11 hits, while junior starting pitcher Erica Bailey (Scottsdale, AZ) hurled a complete-game, one-hitter. 

 

Tufts University (29-11) advances to face third-seeded Wellesley College at 4 p.m. on May 11, while Emerson (22-17) will meet sixth-seeded College Misericordia at noon in an elimination game.

 

The Lions could not solve Bailey as the junior right-hander retired the first 11 batters she faced. Emerson sophomore right fielder Bri Papa (Camilus, NY) broke up Bailey’s no-hit bid with one out in the top of the sixth, singling to the shortstop. Bailey bore down to retire four of the final five batters she faced to close out the contest and raise her record to 7-4.

 

Bailey helped out her own cause in bottom of the second stanza, leading off with a triple to right field. With one-out, junior catcher Megan Cusick (Albany, NY) laced an RBI double to center field to plate the first and decisive run of the afternoon.

 

Tufts extended its advantage to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth frame, when junior shortstop Heather Kleinberger (New City, NY) tucked a bases-clearing RBI-double inside the third base bag to score Cusick and sophomore right fielder Maya Ripecky (Chicago, IL).

 

Cusick paced the Jumbos attack with a 3-for-3 showing at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. Sophomore left fielder Roni Herbst (Montclair, NJ), Kleinberger, and Bailey each recorded two hits.

 

Emerson senior starting pitcher Heather Drobiarz (Old Saybrook, CT) was saddled with the loss, surrendering three runs on eight hits, while collecting a strikeout. Sophomore relief pitcher Angela Jorgenson (Dayton, IA) did not allow a run in two innings of work.

 

-Complete box score to follow-