Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FORT MYERS, Fla.--First year Tori Brown (New Market, Md./Linganore) struck out 12 in a complete game effort as the Smith College softball team got the season off to a strong start with a pair of wins on the opening day of the Gene Cusic Classic.  The Pioneers edged out Worcester State 2-1 in the opener, followed by a 5-0 win over St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn in the second game.

Brown allowed just two hits in seven innings - singles in the fouth and seventh frames by Cassandra Molinari.  Otherwise, she was dominant, with just one runner reaching second base the entire game.

Smith got all the runs they would need in the top of the third. Brittany Purington (Weare, N.H./John Stark) got things going with a single up the middle, and took second on Kristina Gaffny (Reading, Mass./Austin Prep)'s bunt single.  Joanna Giordano (South Salem, N.Y./John Jay)'s single to right loaded the bases, and RBI groundouts from Caroline Kushner (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) and Tessa Clark (Calais, Maine/Calais) plated Purington and Gaffny.  Brown helped her own cause with a double to right-center that sent Giordano home.

The Pioneers added a run in the fifth when Gaffny doubled to left-center and came home on Kushner's single to right field, and tacked on one more in the sixth when Brown singled, took second on an error, and scored on Edie Richardson (Franklin, Mass./Fontbonne Academy)'s double to left field.

Smith touched St. Joseph pitching for nine hits, including multi-hit days from Brown, Gaffny, and Giordano.  Kushner finished with two RBI and a stolen base for the Pioneers.

The Pioneers also beat Worcester State 2-1 in the first game of the season.   The Pioneers jumped out to an early lead as Tessa Clark (Calais, Maine/Calais) and Tori Brown (New Market, Md./Linganore) rapped 1-out singles, and both came around to score on Gina Martiucci's double to left-center.  

Aimee Lamoreaux doubled home Sara Pelletier to trim the lead to 2-1 in the fourth for Worcester State's lone run of the game.  The game ended in thrilling fashion, as Worcester State had runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Hillary Hart grounded into a 6-3-2 double play to end the game.

Richardson finished with two of Smith's seven hits, while catching a complete game from Martucci, who struck out eight and allowed just five hits in her collegiate debut.