The Tufts Daily - Friday, March 29, 2019 by The Tufts Daily

SOFTBALL

Drew Weisberg offers analysis of ‘Flex Metallo’ see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 3

Team impresses with 13game winning streak

Amy Schumer’s new Netflix special falls flat see ARTS&LIVING / PAGE 4

SEE SPORTS / BACK PAGE

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T HE T UFTS DAILY

VOLUME LXXVII, ISSUE 42

Friday, March 29, 2019

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.

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First offshore wind energy engineering master’s program in US introduced at Tufts by Juliana Furgala News Editor

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will introduce a new master’s program in offshore wind energy engineering in the fall. This three-semester program is the first of its kind in the U.S., according to TuftsNow. According to the official M.S. program page, the goal of the program is to provide students with “world-class training in wind policy, technical applications and project management to prepare them for jobs in global industry, academia, and the public sector.” Laurie Baise, professor and chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, described the development of the program as a student-modeled process. “Over the last few years, we have had several students interested in offshore wind,” Baise said in an email. “We have used our experience advising them through the curriculum and into the job market to help influence the program.” It was this student interest that inspired the development of the formal program, Eric Hines, a professor of the practice of Civil and Environmental Engineering, noted. He said the department has been developing seminar courses that fit the program for the past three years. “We have created the program in response to longstanding requests from students to offer more courses on sustainability and renewable energy,” Hines said in an email to the Daily. Shelley Kwok, a mechanical engineering student in the clean energy engineering class, described the appeal of offshore wind. “I was drawn to offshore wind because I think it has the potential to revolutionize energy generation in New England and is a really interesting combination of different engineering fields,” Kwok, a senior, said in an email to the Daily. “I’m especially interested in the technology innovation that’s going on within this field as a mechanical engineer.” Baise said the program is more than just a set of classes, emphasizing industry connections and networking in the growing field. According to TuftsNow, part of this is the Tufts Offshore Power Research and Education (OSPRE) Collaborative, a

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Offshore wind turbines are pictured. connection to important members of the offshore wind industry. “We are developing OSPRE in relationship with industry partners that we have been working with for the past several years,” Hines said. “This collaborative is in its early launch phase and will grow over the coming years into an important mechanism for developing and refining a curriculum that is responsive to the needs of the offshore wind industry.” Hines explained that wind energy is especially important now with recent development across Europe, New England and specifically Massachusetts, making these courses topical. “We are at the beginning of [a] historic transition to a low-carbon, electricity based energy economy … The first commercial scale turbines that will be constructed in the Federal Wind Energy Areas south of Martha’s Vineyard will be as tall as the Boston skyline … Massachusetts is leading the way with construction of the first commercial scale 800 MW offshore wind farm by Vineyard Wind,” Hines said. For breaking news, our content archive and exclusive content, visit tuftsdaily.com @tuftsdaily

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Hines explained that with Boston becoming a key location for offshore wind, the industry has been looking to Tufts. “As the world comes to Boston to set up shop, multiple industry partners have reached out to Tufts looking for top talent,” Hines said. “Over the years, we have placed students in offshore wind industry jobs both locally and abroad.” Hines added that having a formal curriculum will help students to more effectively learn what they need to work in offshore wind. “[ T ]he Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has worked closely with colleagues across the [School of Engineering] to develop a flexible and integrated curriculum in offshore wind infrastructure … Tufts faculty are working collaboratively to pivot into this new field to help define on a state and national level the knowledge base required for future offshore wind professionals,” Hines said. Baise stated that the course content is also interdisciplinary, incorporating professors and courses from many departments.

“The interdisciplinary content helps provide context to the student through topics such as energy policy, economics and project management as they relate to the offshore wind industry,” Baise said. Hines stated that the program has involved faculty from the Electrical, Computer and Mechanical Engineering departments as well as from the Fletcher School and the Gordon Institute. According to Baise, the program will continue to grow and adapt as the wind industry changes and the number of majors grows. This includes adding new courses and partnering with more departments, Baise added. Hines sees the major as the beginning of an important transition into the future. “This is an exciting time to get involved … We are engaged in a transition of historic proportions, and we are going to need our country’s top talent to help make this transition a reality,” Hines said. “Tufts attracts students with the capacity to work across disciplines in engineering, policy and business to help build a vital offshore wind industry.”

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THE TUFTS DAILY | News | Friday, March 29, 2019

THE TUFTS DAILY Elie Levine Editor in Chief

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Events on the Hill — Week of April 1

EDITORIAL

David Levitsky Anita Ramaswamy Managing Editors Luke Allocco Jessica Blough Austin Clementi Charlie Driver Jenna Fleischer Juliana Furgala Kat Grellman Abbie Gruskin Liza Harris Zachary Hertz Gil Jacobson Rachael Meyer Catherine Perloff Seohyun Shim Hannah Uebele Joe Walsh Alejandra Carrillo Robert Kaplan Noah Richter Jilly Rolnick Alexander Thompson Grace Yuh Costa Angelakis Jenna Fleischer Sean Ong Michael Shames Fina Short Sidharth Anand Amelia Becker Mark Choi Sarah Crawford Mitch Lee Ellie Murphy Ananya Pavuluri

Libby Langsner John Fedak Tommy Gillespie Stephanie Hoechst Setenay Mufti Christopher Panella Rebecca Tang Danny Klain Yas Salon

Aneurin Canham-Clyne Mikaela Lessnau Kaitlyn Meslin Amulya Mutnuri Elizabeth Shelbred Simrit Uppal Shane Woolley Arlo Moore-Bloom Yuan Jun Chee Ryan Eggers Liam Finnegan Jeremy Goldstein Savannah Mastrangelo Maddie Payne Haley Rich Brad Schussel Josh Steinfink Sam Weidner Julia Atkins Tim Chiang Jake Freudberg Noah Stancroff Helen Thomas-McLean Alex Viveros Daniel Nelson Madeleine Oliver Christine Lee Anika Agarwal Ann Marie Burke Mike Feng Ben Kim Max Lalanne Meredith Long Julia McDowell Evan Slack Kirt Thorne Caleb Martin-Rosenthal Ann Marie Burke Annette Key

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The steps on the president’s lawn are pictured on Oct. 13, 2018. Executive Arts Editor Arts Editors

Assistant Arts Editors

Executive Opinion Editor Editorialists

Executive Sports Editor Sports Editors

by Jessica Blough

Executive News Editor

MONDAY “Distinguished Speaker Series: Eboo Patel” Details: For this semester’s final installment of the Distinguished Speaker Series, the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life and the University Chaplaincy will host interfaith activist Eboo Patel for a conversation on cooperation among individuals with diverse beliefs. This event is the University Chaplaincy’s annual Russell Lecture on Spiritual Life. Where and when: Breed Memorial Hall; 5:30–7:30 p.m.

TUESDAY “Mental Health Monologues: Strength in Stories” Details: Active Minds will organize a space for Tufts students to share their mental health stories, marking the fourth year that the group has hosted the event. Where and when: 51 Winthrop Street; 8–10 p.m. WEDNESDAY “Green-Out with Green Dot” Details: As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Tufts Green Dot will encourage Tufts community members to wear green as a sign of support for survivors of sexual harassment and assault. Green Dot Ambassadors will award candy to participants throughout the day.

Where and when: Tufts University; all day. THURSDAY “Sarabande Presents: Freefall” Details: Sarabande Dance Ensemble’s spring showcase will feature dance styles including contemporary, jazz and ballet, performed by members of the student group. Where and when: Cohen Auditorium; 9–11 p.m. FRIDAY “Tufts Third Day Gospel Choir: Perspective” Details: Tufts Third Day Gospel Choir will put on a performance to showcase their work of the semester, under the theme “Perspective.”

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PRODUCTION Daniel Montoya

Production Director Ryan Eggers Catalina Mengyao Yang Mia Garvin Jordan Isaacs Maygen Kerner Aidan Menchaca Kiran Misner Alice Yoon Isabella Montoya

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Myshko Chumak Justin Yu Caroline Bollinger Rachel Isralowitz Nathan Kyn Ali Mintz Nihaal Shah Liora Silkes Rebecca Barker Chloe Lyu Ethan Resek Ryan Shaffer Aadhya Shivakumar Russell Yip Abigail Zielinski

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Esra Gurcay Rebecca Tang Asli Akova Ercan Sen Amy Tong Mitch Navetta Amanda Covaleski Olivia Ireland Lillian Miller Christopher Panella

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BUSINESS Olivia Davis Executive Business Director

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ARTS&LIVING

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THINK PIECE

‘Captain Marvel’ and the persistent fight against Internet trolls by Abby Schmidt Staff Writer

“Captain Marvel” (2019), the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, did not hit theaters until March 8. That did not stop users on Rotten Tomatoes, the online movie review aggregator, from voicing their opinions weeks before the premiere. “Tired of all this SJW [Social Justice Warrior] nonsense,” wrote a user called “Jonathan B.” Another user commented that the movie was “a complete disaster.” The audience score for the film reached an astonishing low of 27 percent — all before said audience got the chance to watch it. On February 25, Rotten Tomatoes announced that they plan to remove the ability to comment on a movie before its release, citing an “uptick in non-constructive input, sometimes bordering on trolling.” This coordinated “review-bombing” was just one of the ways in which online trolls attacked “Captain Marvel,” and in particular, its star, Brie Larson. YouTube is full of videos with titles such as “Brie Larson is ruining Marvel!” and calls to boycott the film. The release of the first trailer for the movie resulted in many Twitter users calling Larson’s acting “wooden” and saying she looked bored. One Twitter user even photoshopped a smile onto Larson’s face in several screencaps from the trailer, echoing the harassment women frequently endure in the form of calls to “smile more.” What prompted the trolls to come out in full force against “Captain Marvel?” It partly stems from opposition to Larson’s activism and social commentary. As the lead in Marvel’s first female-led superhero film, Larson has been outspoken about the importance of this role. She told Entertainment Tonight that she had talked to Marvel about making a “big feminist movie,” and sees Captain Marvel as a role model for strong women. Larson has also called for more diversity among film critics, noting in a profile with Marie Claire that press rooms are too often “overwhelmingly white male.” Men’s rights activists online took particular offense to this, claiming that Larson had engaged in “hate speech”

against white men and promising to boycott the film. But this type of reactionary trolling is not limited to Brie Larson or “Captain Marvel.” The push for more diversity in Hollywood has led to a recent wave of highly profitable and critically acclaimed blockbuster movies starring women and people of color. Unfortunately, these releases are often met with racist and misogynistic harassment online. The “review-bombing” technique on Rotten Tomatoes was also used to target “Black Panther” (2018) and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017); a Facebook profile called “Down with Disney’s Treatment of Franchises and Its Fanboys” claimed credit for both campaigns. Perhaps the most serious and damaging example of this behavior occurred in response to the all-female remake of “Ghostbusters” (2016). Actress Leslie Jones, who starred in the film, became the target of an onslaught of horrific sexist and racist abuse on Twitter. Trolls also hacked her personal website to display stolen personal information and what appeared to be nude photos of Jones. Trolling and cyberharassment are often part of online gatekeeping — an effort to keep ‘undesirable’ people (usually women, people of color, queer people, etc.) out of certain spaces. Recall the 2014 “#Gamergate” controversy, in which female journalists and designers in the gaming community were targeted by sexist harassment and threats of violence. The movement masked itself as an assertion of ethics in video game journalism, but quickly devolved into a systematic effort to drive women out of a community men saw as their own. Franchises like Marvel Comics and “Ghostbusters” also have traditionally male-heavy fanbases. When new film installments of these stories diversify the characters and market to women and people of color, some of these fans see it as an infringement and lash out. Trolling is a frustratingly persistent problem, and there is no easy way to prevent online harassment. However, the response to the “Captain Marvel” controversy shows glimmers of hope. In addition to Rotten Tomatoes’ decision to take action, YouTube tweaked its algorithm to bury the

COURTESY MARVEL STUDIOS

The promotional poster for ‘Captain Marvel’ (2019) is pictured. most offensive videos by designating “Brie Larson” as a “news-worthy search term,” meaning that the top results for her name are now from credible outlets. Despite the trolls’ best efforts, however, “Captain Marvel” debuted with great success. The film earned an impressive

domestic $154 million its opening weekend, and has continued to rake in returns since. This kind of profit virtually guarantees more “Captain Marvel” films down the line. Fans voted with their dollars, and they far outnumber the angry voices on the Internet.

THE TUFTS DAILY | Arts & Living | Friday, March 29, 2019

Drew Weisberg Hidden Panels

Flex Mentallo Issue 1

e’re gonna try something new this week, gang. I’m going to highlight a character that’s piqued my interest as of late, coupled with an issue that I just read rather than a collection or a complete arc. Fair warning though, I’ve picked a wacky one: Flex Mentallo, Muscle Man of Mystery. Do not adjust your monitors — that is, in fact, his real name, and his origins are as delightfully zany as you’d hope. After receiving a book titled “Muscle Mystery for You,” a young man known as “Mac” learns a secret path to a mysterious power known as “Muscle Mystery.” Flex is armed with his legendary physique, a pair of leopard print tights and a “hero halo” proclaiming to all that he is the undisputed “Hero of the Beach.” The character is a clear parody of the now archaic “Charles Atlas” bodybuilding ads that ran in comics to prey upon weaklings. However, in this instance, it isn’t the hero’s physical prowess — instead, his powers are described as a “body mind” in the first issue of his self-titled 1996 series by Grant Morrison. I’m getting ahead of myself, though. The story begins in appropriately surreal fashion: A cloaked figure throws a cartoonish bomb directly into the panel’s center, which promptly explodes into a galaxy pattern, then zooms out to reveal the figure on an egg being cooked for Flex’s breakfast. I warned you this was gonna be a weird one. Anyhow, Flex is immediately likeable, rebutting a compliment from a friendly waitress with “You’re a fine, hardworking woman.” As he’s about to dig into his meal, he remarks, “Boy! I’ve been waiting for this! Nothing like the protein and goodness in … ” but is cut off by the bomb discovered just outside of the restaurant. He immediately leaps into action, keeping the sort of classic, comic book-heroics that he seems to be drawing from, demonstrating a well-chiseled moral code to go with his chiseled physique. The rest of the issue, though, has little to do with Flex as a character and everything to do with Flex as an idea. Just as Flex is a parody of the classic body-builder comic concept of the Charles Atlas ads, the rest of the comic plays out like a mad parody of the thought process behind such kooky characters. For the rest of the issue, we flash back between Flex and the suicidal “Wally Sage,” the man who created Flex and some of his fellow crime-fighters. Flex Mentallo, at least in this first issue, is a fascinating exercise in self-parody, a character who can literally make the United States Pentagon into a circle with his biceps but is still limited by the fact that he’s self-aware that he is a character on page. This fact doesn’t seem to get him down. On the contrary, he seems well-adjusted and quite content with himself. If you’re looking for some crazy exploration of the comic medium, let Flex be your guide and prepare to get (meta)physical.

COMEDY SPECIAL REVIEW

Amy Schumer’s Netflix special ‘Growing’ is far from developed

COURTESY SAVVYSCREENER

A snapshot from Amy Schumer’s Netflix comedy special ‘Growing’ (2019) is pictured. by Christopher Panella Arts Editor

In her new Netflix special “Growing” (2019), Amy Schumer is not very funny. For many people, the comedian has never really been funny — at least with her original jokes. Her allegedly stolen jokes are hilarious, but that could be because they are, well, allegedly not written by her. Schumer’s stale comedy style is especially prevalent in “Growing.” There’s no comedic maturity here, and at some points, it’s pretty obvious that Schumer is grasping at straws to get the audience to laugh. The first thing to note about “Growing” is that Schumer doesn’t really seem to want to be there. At one point, she mentions that she’s really only there because she’s contractually obligated and that her hyperemesis gravidarum — severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy — is the cause of her lack of excitement. Sure, it might be a joke, but it just does not stick. It sets up a feeling of Schumer being bored, like she’s done this pony show plenty of times before. The second thing to note is that Schumer’s comedy has not grown very much. It involves many of the same variations of the same bits and brash jokes relating to her weight and sex life. While a brash Schumer might have

been funny five years ago, she has plateaued as a comedian. Schumer’s pregnancy and marriage are the main topic of the special. It’s here that Schumer presents a tinge of authenticity, but it doesn’t last long. She jokes about her husband’s autism and talks about “the signs of autism.” One could say that Schumer can certainly joke about her husband, but one could also say that there’s plenty of other material out there about which to joke. She makes crude jokes about gay husbands who are married to women. It feels a tinge homophobic and inappropriate for Schumer to joke about. There is also plenty of Schumer’s usual empowerment-that’s-not-really-empowerment, with her discussions about women in the working world and women responding to unsolicited sexual pictures from men. It’s a lot of white feminist humor that doesn’t bode well in 2019, or ever. She jokes about physical beauty standards with the same half-baked attempt at providing an “everyone’s beautiful!” message. It’s all typical Schumer stuff, and that’s precisely the problem. Schumer also recycles her own jokes, talking about shaving and her mom lying to her about her beauty as a child. These jokes lack energy this time around, and Schumer has a far less refined — if that’s even possible

— approach to them. This isn’t to say Schumer shouldn’t be her raunchy self or that she shouldn’t flash her pregnant stomach, which she does, or go into detail about her sex life. Raunchy, verbal, disgusting humor can be the best humor, but only if the delivery is well-executed. Sadly, Schumer doesn’t do that. Instead, there’s a feeling of déjà vu, which ruins Schumer’s special, and makes “Growing” painful to watch. There are moments in the special where Schumer thinks she’s being sincere. She gets a little serious about her husband and about the physical pains of being a woman, and while anyone might think she’s sold those moments honestly, they seem quite preachy and far too dominant during her comedy special. Those moments shouldn’t feel performative, but they do. They feel like Schumer, in her all-knowing pregnancy, is trying to give the audience a TED Talk. “Growing” is far too forced, far too performative and feels unnatural. Schumer covers a variety of topics, from gay husbands in heterosexual relationships to emoji porn and very trite takes on women’s rights, but the material never truly feels as funny as it should. Schumer’s comedy special should be mature and focused, but it feels like a mess that Schumer just calls it quits on. For a special titled “Growing,” Schumer doesn’t seem to have done much of it.

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Drew Weisberg is a first-year studying psychology and film and media studies. Drew can be reached at mitchell.weisberg@tufts. edu.

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Friday, March 29, 2019 | FUN & GAMES | THE TUFTS DAILY

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F &G FUN & GAMES

LATE NIGHT AT THE DAILY Elie: “You’re hotter at Tufts than you are anywhere else.”

SUDOKU

LINDA C. BLACK ASTROLOGY

Aries (March 21–April 19)

Professional discipline pays off. Celebrate your team accomplishments over the next few days. Unexpected emotions could surprise you. Keep digging for a clue.

Difficulty Level: Not having another break to look forward to before finals.

Thursday’s Solutions

CROSSWORD

THE TUFTS DAILY | Sports | Friday, March 29, 2019

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Sports

Friday, March 29, 2019 | Sports | THE TUFTS DAILY

Men and women’s track and field kick off outdoor season with spring break meets

MADELEINE OLIVER / TUFTS TRACK AND FIELD

Junior Julia Gake runs the second leg of the 4x400m relay at the NESCAC Championship at Trinity College on Apr. 28, 2018. by Liam Finnegan Sports Editor

Over spring break, the Tufts men and women’s track and field teams each competed in a number of meets to mark the start of the outdoor season. The men’s team travelled to San Diego, Calif., where they competed in the Ross and Sharon Irwin Collegiate Scoring Meet, the 41st Annual Aztec Invitational and the PLNU Collegiate Invitational. The women’s team competed at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational hosted by Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Athletes from both teams earned nationally ranked times to kick off the start of the outdoor season. Men’s track and field At the PLNU Invitational, the men’s team took second out of the 13 teams, performing particularly well in the 100meter race with three Jumbos placing in the top 10. Senior Anthony Kardonsky took sixth with a time of 11.02, junior Robert Jones took eighth with a time of 11.03 and sophomore OJ Armstrong took 10th with a time of 11.11. Senior Tom Doyle had an excellent showing in the 400-meter with a 49.02 time to finish third, beating his own personal record of the 49.55 time he ran in the New England Div. III championships in 2017. His time ranks 11th nationally. In the 400-meter hurdles, junior Billy Witrock ran the event in 55.77 to take fourth, good for 14th place nationally. Junior Roman Lovell also had a great showing, posting a 1:55.97 mark in the 800-meter, a personal record, to take fourth in the

event and 15th in Div. III. Adding to the numerous nationally ranking times was first-year Nicholas Delaney, who ran a 3:59.82 in the 1,500-meter to take 21st in the entire Div. III field. The only first-place finishes came from the field athletes. Senior co-captain Henry Hintermeister took first in the javelin throw with a Spartan-like throw of 177’11”. His mark ranks 18th in the nation. Junior Kevin Quisumbing, who plays defensive line for Tufts football in the fall, topped his personal record to take first in the shot put with a mark of 51’7”. The launch ranks second in the nation, an impressive and promising accomplishment for the dual athlete’s spring aspirations. First-year Ben Stein was the sole Jumbo at the decathlon-only 41st Annual Aztec Invitational. The invitational featured athletes from across the NCAA, making it a unique opportunity for the Tenafly, N.J. native to pit himself against the nation’s best across all three divisions. “Track is cool in that a certain time or distance is the same, no matter who you are or where you are competing, so it makes for a pretty level playing field,” Stein said. “It was a bit intimidating going into it, but pretty quickly I realized I was right in the mix with the rest of the field.” On the first day, Stein competed in the 100-meter, 400-meter, shot put, long jump and high jump. By the end of the first day, Stein totaled 3,013 points, good for 10th place. On the second day of the meet, Stein upped his game, taking first in the 1,500-meter run and fifth in the pole vault, good enough to jump into fifth place. Stein was happy with his first decathlon performance.

“Getting fifth felt really good,” Stein said. “It was my first time doing the decathlon, so I didn’t have any expectations, but for each event I had a specific goal whether that was getting a personal best or just try and get a legal mark. During the first day of competition, it started raining pretty hard in the middle of the high jump, so once that happened, my focus really just turned to trying to execute and do my best in every event, not thinking about the decathlon as a whole.” The men’s team also performed well in their first meet of the outdoor season, securing nationally ranked times at the Ross and Sharon Irwin Collegiate Scoring Meet. Overall, the men’s team finished fifth of 12 teams. Kardonsky started the season with a bang. He earned two nationally ranked times for himself at the meet: seventh in the 100-meter with a time of 10.96 that is currently ranked 20th nationally, and ninth in the 200-meter with a time of 22.19, which he improved upon at the PLNU invitational the next week with a time of 22.13. That time ranks 24th nationally. The 4×100-meter relay team, comprised of Kardonsky, Armstong and juniors Jordan Abate and Jones, took first place at the event with 42.06 time that ranks eighth in the nation. The 4×400 team, comprised of Doyle, Witrock and first-years Sam Oomen-Lochtefeld and Riley Patten, also did well, taking fifth with a time of 3:25.51. In the field events, senior Benji Wallace took fifth in the pole vault with a 14’11” effort that ranks 10th in the nation. Quisumbing found success as well; his 47’9¾” mark in the shot put was good enough for sixth.

Women’s track and field In the women’s sole meet over spring break, first-year Julia Worden earned the best Tufts finish of the first day with her 10th-place finish nationally in the 200-meter, running a time of 28.40. Senior co-captain Evelyn Drake competed well in the hammer throw, as she finished 13th out of 54 competitors with a 138’11” mark that was good for 37th place nationally. The women’s team improved after the first day, earning more nationally ranked marks on day two. The 4×400 relay of first-years Hannah Neilon, Luana Machado, Tara Lowensohn and Worden took eighth in the relay with a time of 4:09.58. Their time is ranked 27th nationally. Neilon also had individual success, running the 400-meter in 59.78 to take 16th. Her time is currently 32nd nationally. Overall, the women’s team took 15th out of the 21 teams competing at the event. The team is optimistic for the rest of the season, with coach Kristen Morwick acknowledging her squad was not at full strength. “I think the team is fired up for a great outdoor season and I think we will be a better outdoor team, especially with the events that are added [400 hurdles, 3k Steeplechase, 10k, Javelin, Hammer, Discus],” Morwick said. “We had a really small crew for our spring break meet. [I’m] looking forward to seeing what our 400 hurdle crew can do and also what the throwers can do in the discus, hammer and javelin.” On Saturday at the Snowflake Classic, both teams are back on the Ellis Oval track in the Jumbos’ first outside track event of the year.

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Sports

Friday, March 29, 2019

Softball looks to carry momentum from successful Florida trip into homeopener

EVAN SAYLES / THE TUFTS DAILY ARCHIVES

Tufts infielder sophomore Mia Steinberg runs up the first-base line in a game against Babson on April 17, 2018. by Jake Freudberg and Helen ThomasMcLean Assistant Sports Editors

The softball team returned from a packed week in Florida, playing 15 games that included a 13-game winning streak before losses in the final two matchups. With their 13–2 record, the Jumbos now are ranked at No. 23 in the nation by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll. Tufts benefited from powerful swings and strong performances on the mound through the week. The team outscored opponents 92–43 and accumulated a batting average of .308. As a staff, the pitchers — led by sophomore Kristi Van Meter, junior Gillian O’Connor and sophomore Kristina Haghdan — averaged a 2.03 earned run average (ERA). Spring break was the busiest part of schedule the Jumbos’ schedule, as they played nearly one-third of their games in just nine days. “It puts a lot of strain on our bodies,” senior utility player Kristen Caporelli said. “Towards the end of the week, people were hurting and tired.” The wear and tear showed for the Jumbos towards the end of the week. The trip ended on Sunday with a heartbreaking, extra inning 12–10 loss to the University of Wisconsin-Stout. By the fifth inning, Tufts led 7–0 after home runs by junior rightfielder Maria Ostapovich and junior infielder Jamie Stevens. But the Blue Devils rallied in the sixth and seventh innings, taking advantage of some of Jumbos’ errors to send the game to extras. After the Blue

Devils put up four in the top of the eighth, the Jumbos only got two runs across from senior third baseman Christian Cain’s RBI double and Stevens’ sacrifice fly before the Blue Devils wrapped up the impressive comeback win. The only other loss of the week came the day before, on Saturday, to University of St. Thomas. The 9–0 loss was the largest losing margin for Tufts since the NESCAC championship game in 2016 against Williams. Van Meter — who had dazzled on the mound earlier in the week — struggled against the No. 4 ranked Tommies, allowing five earned runs in four innings of work. On offense, the Jumbos only mustered four hits in the five-inning, run-rule-shortened game. Earlier in the day, the Jumbos defeated No. 22 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire behind a total 15 hits and a complete game from Haghdan. Friday’s action saw Tufts defeat University of Wisconsin-Superior 6–2 and St. Olaf College 7–4. Thursday’s victories showcased both the offensive and pitching strength of the Jumbos; they beat Marian University 13–2 off of 20 hits and then went on two beat Ramapo College 1–0 behind Van Meter’s complete, one-hitter game. Tuesday was a similar story: Van Meter threw a complete game two-hit shutout as Tufts defeated Rowan University 1–0; in the afternoon, a home run from Caporelli and two triples from sophomore second baseman Emma Della Volpe led Tufts to a 7–1 win over St. Joseph’s College. Van Meter talked about the benefits of the Florida trip and the variety of opponents she gets to face.

“I think that the best part about Florida is that we kind of have a better idea of our potential now,” Van Meter said. “I think we had some really good games, like Rowan and Amherst, where we kind of excelled. But, then, we had other games where we saw that we could have done better, like our two losses. That’s just motivating us to do better.” On Monday, the Jumbos mercy-ruled two teams — SUNY Plattsburgh and Grinnell — 8–0 in five innings. The Jumbos combined for 25 hits across both games, and Van Meter threw another two-hitter in the Plattsburgh game. One of the team’s strengths this season is its batting, which carried the team to many of its wins over break. “Our bats really came alive in these games,” Caporelli said. “We can hit all throughout the lineup, and we can make a lot of substitutions and still be as strong as our initial lineup.” Sunday’s matchups included a familiar NESCAC opponent in Hamilton, whom Tufts defeated 7–3 before beating Rutgers University-Camden later in the day 9–3. The week of games began with a NESCAC opponent in the Amherst Mammoths on Saturday; the Jumbos narrowly defeated them 4–3. Later on Saturday, Tufts also beat Mount St. Mary College 3–1. The week’s games revealed some of the team’s strengths and weaknesses moving forward. “We try to look at the week as a big picture and take away what we need to learn from that, and the things that we need to work on to get better, and then the things that we were working on that

we did well there,” interim head coach Lauren Ebstein said. One area in which the Jumbos showed some weakness, however, was on defense. Across the 15 games, the Jumbos made 22 errors — an average of 1.47 per game. But, as anyone familiar with baseball or softball can tell you, the timing of errors is really what counts. In the Wisconsin-Stout game, the Jumbos made some costly errors that led to the loss. In the cold New England winter, Ebstein’s players simply can’t practice ground balls and pop flies in the dimly lit Carzo Cage. “When we’re inside for most of the preseason, we do a ton of hitting,” Ebstein said. “We’re going to continue to work through situations defensively as we get outside. Seeing the ball off the bat is something that we don’t get to see a ton inside, so we’ll continue to work on those situations defensively — continue to get good reads on balls, to make good choices, communication, all those things that are important for defense.” Back from Florida, the team now will focus in on the first home series of the season against NESCAC opponent Bates. “I think we’re going to look to play our best softball in May and not the end of March,” Ebstein said. “Every NESCAC series is important for us, so we’re hoping to come out excited that we’re at home. We’re going to continue where we left off, so I don’t think too much will change from the end of Florida to this weekend.” First pitch on Friday is slated for 4 p.m., followed by Saturday’s doubleheader at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. against the Bobcats.