In the opening game of the 2014 NESCAC Softball Tournament on Friday, Middlebury fell to Tufts by a score of 7-0. The Panthers return to the Williams' Cole Field on Saturday for a 10:00 a.m. game against Bowdoin in an elimination game.

Middlebury was matched up against Tufts ace Allyson Fournier, who allowed just one hit, one walk and struck out nine. The shutout was her 11th of the year as the Jumbos, the nation's top-ranked team in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll, improved to 35-3 with the victory.

Tufts advances to play a winner's bracket game on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. against host Williams (23-9), which defeated Bowdoin (24-13), 6-0, in Friday's other opening-round game.

Fournier (17-0), the reigning NESCAC Pitcher of the Year, walked the first batter she faced and then retired 18-straight batters. Jackie Stern ended the no-hit bid when she led off the seventh for Middlebury with a single to left-center.

Tufts scored in the first inning off Panther starter Elizabeth Morris. Leading off, Michelle Cooprider reached on an error and scored on a double to right-center from Jo Clair.

In the fourth, the Jumbos took control of the game with five unearned runs for a 6-0 advantage. Clair and Cassie Ruscz had back-to-back two-run hits in the inning. Doubles by Cooprider and Clair plated the final Jumbo run in the sixth off Panther reliever Kat Maehr.

Morris (7-4) went the first 4.0 innings for the Panthers, giving up six unearned runs on eight hits while striking out four. Maehr pitched the final two innings, allowing one run on four hits.

The Jumbos collected 12 hits in the game, led by a 3-4 performance from Clair. Chrissie Massrey, Bri Keenan and Christina Raso were all 2-3, respectively, while Cooprider scored three runs.