Right-hander Casey Ducinski '13 pitched a complete game four-hit shutout while striking out five batters in the softball team's 4-0 win over Tufts University last Sunday in the second game of a doubleheader. "[Ducinski] did really well," coach Jessica Johnson said. "She scattered a couple of hits, and I think if you can come out against Tufts and get a zero at the end of the game, I think that's extremely impressive because they're always a good hitting team. She stepped up and hit her spots."

Earlier Sunday, the Judges suffered an 8-2 loss to the Tufts Jumbos, and after losing two games to Babson College and sweeping a doubleheader against Suffolk University earlier in the week, the Judges now stand at 14-15 on the year.

In the win in the second game against Tufts, the Judges got on the scoreboard early with three runs in the first inning. After walks by designated player Marianne Specker '12 and outfielder Carly Schmand '11, first baseman Courtney Kelley '11 hit a 3-run home run to left field to give the Judges the lead they would not give up for the rest of the game.

"It was great timing," Johnson said. "We worked getting two batters on; not only was the outcome good, but the at bat was extremely good. [Kelley] fouled off pitches and laid off the ones that were balls. . She got a lot of looks at a lot [of] pitches and it paid off in the end.

The Judges scored their last run of the day on a double by Schmand, which scored catcher Leah McWilliams '14, who had reached base with a walk.

In the first game of the day, the Judges scored both of their runs in the top of the first inning. Right-handed pitcher Melissa Nolan '14 singled home third baseman Brittney Grimm '12, and Kelley later scored after an error by Tufts junior shortstop Mira Lieman-Sifry.

However, the Judges fell as they could not withstand the Tufts duo of junior first baseman Lena Cantone and freshman catcher Jo Clair, who combined for seven of the Jumbos' eight RBIs.

Nolan was responsible for eight of Tufts' runs and gave up nine hits and seven walks in six innings of work.

Despite a quick start, Johnson thought that the team faltered as the game progressed.

"We had a little bit of a struggle in the beginning because we let up a lot of walks in the first game," Johnson said. "Tufts is a quick team on the bases, and they take advantage. . They came back 3-2 in the beginning, and I think we just kind of took the foot off the gas pedal, unfortunately, after the first inning and Tufts didn't."

Last Friday, the Judges lost a doubleheader to Babson by scores of 11-0 and 6-0. Overall, the Beavers outhit the Judges 28-6. In the 6-0 loss to Babson, the Judges did not give up any runs through the first five innings. However, in the top of the sixth inning, the Beavers' first seven batters reached base safely, and Babson went on to score all six of their runs in the inning to secure the victory.

The Judges had only four hits and three walks and left eight runners on base.

In the first game, Babson got on the board quickly by scoring four runs in the first inning. Nolan failed to record an out in the inning, giving up four runs on three hits, two of which were home runs. Ducinski and Caroline Miller '11 finished the game for the Judges, and the duo gave up seven runs on nine hits, though only three of the runs were earned. On offense, Ducinski and Schmand were the only two Judges to record hits in the game.

Against Suffolk, the Judges won 2-1 in the first game and 13-1 in the second game. In the second game, the Judges recorded 19 hits, six of which went for extra bases. Outfielder Lauren Porcaro '12 led the way with a two-run shot in the top of the sixth inning.

Down 1-0 going into the seventh inning of the first game, the Judges scored two runs in the inning to win. Nolan tied the game with a two-out triple that scored Ducinski, and Nolan scored on an overthrow at home plate by Suffolk senior second baseman Monica Cioffi.

The Judges will play a doubleheader tomorrow at Wheaton College, followed by a doubleheader at Framingham State University on Friday and a doubleheader against Eastern Connecticut State University on Sunday.

"We certainly hope to take two on Wednesday against Wheaton and then hopefully another two against Framingham and go from there," Johnson said. "It's good competition to do it against going into probably our toughest competition of the season with Eastern Connecticut to round things off before Bowdoin [College next week].