Tufts Trips Over Batwomen, 7-3

The Tufts softball team in rich in talent--it has some world-class acrobats on the roster.

When it comes to playing softball, however, the Jumbos aren't so great.

Harvard coasted to an easy 7-3 victory over Tufts yesterday afternoon at Soldiers Field, improving its record to 9-4. "Upset" is not a word you would use to describe the outcome of the contest.

"It's nice to win the ones you should win." Crimson Coach John Wentzell said. He added, though, that "those sometimes are not the easiest games."

The Jumbos certainly didn't make things easy for themselves. The visitors committed three errors on the afternoon--two of them unquestionably of "This Week In Softball" quality.

Tufts center fielder, Nancy Retchlin and left fielder Kathy Durga either had a strange affinity for each other--or else were catching up on gymnastics practice.

In the bottom of the fourth, with the score tied at one and Harvard's Lisa Rowning standing on second. Joan Cunningham came to the plate--and drove the pitch into left center. Reichlin and Durga conversed on the ball, and Reichlin scooped it up.

Then they did something odd--they kicked up their legs and tripped each other.

Oops.

That little acrobatic display initiated a four-run Crimson rally, putting the Cantabs on top stay Give the game winning RBI to those Jumbo outfielders.

Once was not enough, however, as Reichlin and Durga demonstrated in the bottom of the sixth. After smashed a double to left center, the Amazing Jumbos were up to their old trick kick, and crash.

With that kind of assistance. Harvard could hardly help winning. What the batswomen showed, however, was that they wouldn't have had too much trouble disposing of Tufts under any circumstances.

The squad punched out a total of 10 hits against Jumbo hurler Amy BInder, including a double, two triples, and a home run. That followed up Tuesday's nine-hit (four extra base hit) assault on Maine.

Wentzell noted that the proliferation of two, three, and four-sackers was a factor in the Crimson's success. "We put the proliferation on them all day," Wentzell said. "It [the outfield] is hard, and the balls just roll."

All of last year, when it finished. Harvard had only 15 extra base hits, with 13 doubles, a triple, and a home run. This year, with yesterday's game marking the halfway point on the schedule, the sluggers have already knocked 18 shots for extra bases (7, 5, and 6).

"They win it for you," Wentzell said.

The offense provided Crimson pitcher Janet Dickerman with all the insurance she needed to pick up her third win of the year. Dickerman yielded only three hits to the Tufts batters, striking out one while walking two.

"Janet did a nice job," Wentzell said of his hurler, who has also defeated the University of Pennsylvania and Mt. Holyoke this season.

Dickerman retired the Jumbos in order over the first two frames, while Harvard jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second on freshman Sharon Haves' second round-tripper of the year.

Tufts tied the score in the third, picking up an unearned run on an infield error and a single.

The score remained deadlocked until the bottom of the fourth, when Reichlin and Durga performed the first of their acts. Mary MacKinnon followed with consecutive hits the score to 5-1.

Reichlin made things a little tense with a two run homes in the top of the sixth, but the Crimson bounced back with a two-run homer in the bottom half.

Baldauf rapped out her third hit of the day. Barresi reached third on the outfield duo's antics, and Irisha Brown drove in the final run with a growunder to the right side.

The batswomen have a day off today, but return to action tomorrow when Cornell for a doubleheader Harvard's Ivy record currently stands at 2-2.