SALEM, Va. — Tufts’ Allyson Fournier won an All-American pitcher’s duel with Salisbury’s Rachel Johnson and the two-time defending national champion Jumbos won their 50th straight game on Friday night, 3-0, in a rematch of last year’s championship, to close out day two of the NCAA Division III Championship at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va.
The (48-0) Jumbos have now won 81 of their last 82, dating back to the final two games of last season. Salisbury (36-7) defeated Tufts in the opening game of the best-of-three NCAA Championship Series last May.
Fournier struck out eight in a complete-game three-hitter, retiring 12 straight Sea Gulls to close things out after the heart of Tufts’ lineup scored three runs in the third, using the whole field in the process.
With two outs, Christina Raso singled to right and Michelle Cooprider doubled to left to plate Raso. All-American Cassie Ruscz then homered to center to drive in the other two runs. Cooprider and Raso had two hits apiece.
Johnson allowed six hits and struck out six over six innings in a loss that forces Salisbury to play a 4 p.m. ET elimination game on Saturday against Kean, while Tufts earns a break until 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Angela Malgieri, Katie Sebbane and Molly Simpson provided the Sea Gulls’ three hits.
DePauw 5, Alma 4 (8 inns.)
Morgan McCord led off the eighth inning with an opposite-field homer as the Tigers scored a walkoff win.
The (36-15) Tigers’ exciting win eliminated Alma, which was making its first NCAA Championship appearance since 2005.
DePauw jumped out to a 2-0 edge in the first before the (30-17) Scots tied them in the second. The two teams again matched each other with single runs in both the fifth and sixth.
Sammi Bell and Linsey Button joined McCord with two hits each in support of reliever Emma Baldwin, who threw 14 of her 22 pitches for strikes to retire the side in order in the seventh and eighth.
Morgan Stratton scattered 10 hits, walked three and fanned three in the loss for Alma.
Texas-Tyler 2, Linfield 1
Kristin Lopez hit a solo homer in the third and added an insurance run on Shelby Shelton’s sacrifice fly in the seventh to top the (38-14) Wildcats, who were coming off Thursday’s run-rule victory, but now must play a 6:30 p.m. elimination game on Saturday against DePauw.
Texas-Tyler, meanwhile, earns a day off and needs only one more win to play for the national title.
All-American Kelsie Batten (no walks, two strikeouts) allowed two of her five hits in the final inning when Linfield finally got onto the scoreboard. Leadoff hitter Whitney Burt had two hits for the (49-3) Patriots.
Montana McNealy did her best to keep the Wildcats close throughout, scattering six hits and striking out four over seven innings. Alissa Buss singled twice in the loss.
Kean 10, Alfred 4
All-American Courtney Yard struck out 10 and scattered eight hits over seven innings for her 32nd complete game of the season — and 121st of her career — as the Cougars eliminated Alfred with their first triumph at the NCAA Championship since 1986.
Cayleen Rizo, All-American Emily Sabo, Tonianne DeMatteo and Emily Bissonnette all had two hits apiece for Kean (31-14-1).
All-American Alison Wickwire had two hits, including a solo homer, and allowed seven hits and three runs in the circle in 3.1 innings of relief of starter Keri Keeler for the (40-7) Saxons, who had advanced to the NCAA Championship for the first time in school history.
Sophia Chiavatti and Alyson Hampton each had two singles for Alfred.