AMHERST, Mass. - The Amherst softball team suffered a 1-0 loss to Tufts in Game 4 of the NESCAC Championship and followed with a 2-1 setback to Middlebury, eliminating the Jeffs from the conference tournament.

With the losses, Amherst fell to 34-4 overall on the season and will now hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament when the 60-team field is announced on Monday, May 7.

Needing a pair of wins against Tufts tomorrow, Middlebury (22-15) will look to defend its 2011 crown, while denying the Jumbos a chance at their first title since 2009.

Game 1: Tufts 1, Amherst 0
First-year Allyson Fournier turned in another stellar start to lead Tufts University to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Amherst in game four of the 2012 NESCAC Softball Championship.

Improving to 17-1 on the season, Fournier tossed all seven innings, striking out 11, while scattering seven hits. In two appearances at this year's Championship, the first-year has logged 15.0 shutout innings, striking out a tournament record 30 batters without issuing a walk. 

Amherst starter Theresa Kelley '14 (Los Angeles, Calif.) was almost as good, giving up just one run on six hits in 5.0 innings, while Arielle Doering '14 (Branchburg, N.J.) pitched a pair of hitless frames in relief.

Reilly Horan '13 (Darien, Conn.) was the lone Jeff to record multiple hits, going 2-for-3, while Kelsey Ayers '15 (Los Altos, Calif.), Kaitlin Silkowitz '14 (Scarsdale, N.Y.), Donna Leet '15 (Seattle, Wash.), Carly Dudzik '12 (Darien, Conn.) and Karina Kossler '15 (Mission Viejo, Calif.) accounted for the rest of Amherst's seven base-knocks.

Kris Parr '15 drove in the game's only run, finishing 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, while Jo Clair '14, Lena Cantone '12, Emily Beinecke '13 and Kayla Holland '14 each went 1-for-3.

Scoreless in the top of the second, Beinecke looked to get a two-out rally going against Kelley, dumping a bloop single into center. Holland followed with another single before Parr roped a double into the left centerfield gap to plate Beinecke.

Unable to string anything together through the first three innings, Amherst looked to finally solve Fournier in the bottom of the fourth, but the Tufts hurler struck out the side after Horan's lead-off single to preserve the Jumbos' slim 1-0 lead.

Continuing to go on the offensive the following frame, the Jeffs put two aboard on consecutive Kossler and Ayers singles with one out. Fournier responded by fanning Silkowitz to put two away, before sitting down Leet on three pitches to keep Amherst off the board.

Down a run in the bottom of the seventh for the second time in as many days, Amherst hoped to mount another rally, but with the help of a pair of impressive Beinecke stabs at second, Fournier retired the Jeffs in order to seal the Tufts victory.

Game 2: Middlebury 2, Amherst 1
Elizabeth Morris '14 pitched all seven innings, allowing just one run to lead Middlebury to a 2-1 victory over host Amherst at the 2012 NESCAC Softball Championship.

Surrendering just six hits with three strikeouts, Morris improved to 8-3 on the year, while Amherst starter Doering dropped to 11-2 after giving up two runs on a pair of hits in 2.2 innings.

Miller and Friedson each recorded a pair of hits, while Jess Poracky '13 paced the Middlebury lineup, going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Emma Katz '13 chipped in with a couple of base-knocks, while Jessa Hoffman '13 registered the Panthers' only other hit.

Handed an early 1-0 lead with Poracky's RBI single back up the middle in the bottom of the first, Morris retired six of the next eight batters she faced to protect the Panthers' margin through three.

Putting a runner aboard on a hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the third, Middlebury looked to add to its tally, moving the go-ahead run into scoring position on a Kraytenberg ground out to short. Needing a big two-out hit, Poracky again delivered, singling back up the middle to double the Panther lead heading into the top of the fourth.

Hoping to jumpstart the Amherst offense, Leet led off the frame with a single to center. After Horan popped out on a bunt toward first, Miller ripped a double into the left centerfield gap, bringing in a hustling Leet for the Jeffs' first run. Looking to limit the damage, Morris got Dudzik and Kelley to ground out to third, ending the Amherst threat.

Still up 2-1 in the top of the seventh, Morris quickly recorded a pair of outs before surrendering a Friedson single to center to give the Jeffs life. Ayers then reached on a bobbled throw at first to put the tying run in scoring position, but Middlebury's sophomore hurler regrouped, getting Silkowitz to tap a slow comebacker to the mound to end the game.

BOX SCORE (Game 1)

BOX SCORE (Game 2)

2012 NESCAC Softball Championship
Hosted by Amherst College * Friday-Sunday, May 4-6

Day 1 - Friday, May 4
Game 1 --- W1 Amherst def. E2 Bowdoin, 6-5 (8)
Game 2 --- E1 Tufts def. W2 Middlebury, 2-0 (8)

Day 2 - Saturday, May 5
Game 3 --- W2 Middlebury def. E2 Bowdoin, 4-1
Game 4 --- E1 Tufts def. W1 Amherst, 1-0
Game 5 --- W2 Middlebury def. W1 Amherst, 2-1

Day 3 - Sunday, May 6
Game 6 --- W2 Middlebury vs. E1 Tufts, 10 a.m.
Game 7 (If Necessary) --- Immediately Following Game 6