Post-Game Press Conference

Tyler, TX – Junior righthander Allyson Fournier (South Windsor, CT / E. Catholic) allowed three hits and struck out eight as defending national champion Tufts University handed Montclair State its first loss of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship with a 5-2 victory on Friday evening at Suddenlink Field.

Senior third baseman Dana Amato (Hillsdale, NJ, Pascack Valley) blasted a solo home run for the Red Hawks (42-7), who had their six-game winning streak snapped, will now face St. Thomas (MN) in an elimination game on Saturday, May 24 at 5:00 pm EDT.

Fournier, a First-Team All-American, remained perfect on the season at 25-0 as she went the first six inning before having to come back in the seventh to snuff out an MSU rally. Fournier, who beat MSU in last year's NCAA Tournament in Eau Claire, WI, allowed just a flare single by Katie Muglia (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) with two out in the second inning before surrendering the home run to Amato in the sixth and an RBI single by Jaclyn Allegretta (Hackensack, NJ, Hackensack) in the seventh.

Senior righthander Alex Hill (Parsippany, NJ, Parsippany Hills) took the loss as she fell to 31-5. Hill allowed a season-high 13 hits and five runs. She struck out three and walked three.

The Jumbos grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Bri Keenan (Portsmouth, NH / Portsmouth) doubled to right field with one out and the Red Hawks elected to walk All-American catcher Jo Clair (Glastonbury, CT / Glastonbury). Cassie Ruscz (Wolcott, CT / Taft) followed with a single to left field. Keenan raced around third and was just able to sneak her hand on the plate just ahead of tag by Alisha Cumberton (Toms River, NJ, Toms River East) for the game's first run. Michelle Cooprider (Hopkinton, MA / Hopkinton) followed with another single to left scoring Clair for the two-run Jumbos lead.

Tufts added a pair of runs in the fourth on one swing of the bat by Clair, who launched her 23rd home run of the year and third of the NCAA Championship over the right-center field fence brining home Keenan, who kept the inning going with a two-out infield single.

Fournier continued to keep Montclair State off balance retiring 12 of 13 after the single by Muglia before Amato put Montclair State on the board in the sixth with a towering blast to left center, her 10th of the year. It was the second straight year that Amato belted a home run against Fournier as she also provided the lone run in the Red Hawks's 3-1, nine-inning loss last year.

Tufts added a run in the bottom of the sixth however the Red Hawks mounted a rally in the top of the seventh. Hill led off with a base hit against reliever Lauren Giglio who then walked Melany Zeller (Bloomfield, NJ, Bloomfield). Fournier was brought back in and got a fly out and strikeout before Allegretta deposited a base hit into right field scoring pinch-runner SAM CAMACHO with the tying run coming to the plate. Fournier then battled Brooke Powers (Newton, NJ, Pope John XXIII) to a full count before getting the final strike to end the game.