Teams: Softball: Schedule & Results

COLLEGE SOFTBALL FINAL SCORE
NCAA Tournament Regional
Tufts 3, Emerson 1  (9 inn.)

Game Box Score

Izzie Santone allowed just four hits and one run in a nine-inning complete game

BEVERLY -- Senior 2B Danielle Lopez (Danvers, MA) cracked a two-run home run to left-center field in the top of the ninth inning, leading Tufts University to a dramatic 3-1 victory over Emerson College in the winner's bracket of the 2009 NCAA Division 3 Softball Championship Regional on Friday afternoon at Endicott College.

The Jumbos (40-1) move on to play either Springfield College or Coast Guard Academy in the winner's bracket on Saturday afternoon at 2 pm. Emerson (33-10) will face Rhode Island College in an elimination game on Saturday at 10 am.

Tufts sophomore Izzie Santone (Madison, CT) and Emerson first-year Kelsey Tuthill matched up in a great pitcher's duel. Both threw blanks for the first five innings. Santone did not allow a hit through five innings, while Tuthill allowed only a second-inning double to senior RF Maya Ripecky (Chicago, IL) and a fourth-inning single by Lopez. Neither scored.

The Jumbos broke the ice in the sixth with the help of two miscues on bunts by Emerson. Tufts senior CF Laura Chapman (Seattle, WA) bunted with one out and advanced to second on a bad throw. Senior 3B Sam Kuhles (Somerville, NJ) followed with another bunt that was thrown away, allowing Chapman to score.

A two-out rally by the Lions tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Bridget Farago had an infield single, the first hit of the game off Santone, and stole second base. Kendall Pieguss followed by grounding a single through the middle to bring the run home.

After a 1-2-3 Tufts seventh, Emerson's Lynn Herman reached on an error by Lopez with out. However, Lopez redeemed the misplay when after taking the throw at first on a sacrifice bunt for the second out, she turned and threw to second and caught pinch runner Jordan Newell off guard and off the base for the third out.

Tufts went 1-2-3 again in the eighth. Emerson put another runner on in the bottom of the inning when Jilisa Rawding singled through the right side with one out. Santone got out of the inning and the game went to the ninth.

Kuhles opened the ninth for Tufts by beating out a bunt single. Lopez followed with her blast giving Tufts a 3-1 lead. The Lions again put a runner on in the ninth with a lead-off single by Pieguss, but Santone struck out the next three batters to end the game.

Both pitcher's allowed just four hits in nine innings. Santone improved to 18-1 on the season, giving up the one run and striking out five. Tuthill allowed two earned runs and struck out eight.

Lopez was 2 for 4 for the Jumbos and Pieguss finished 2 for 4 for the Lions.

#