Box Score
ROCKY MOUNT, NC - Tufts University and North Carolina Wesleyan College played 16 innings of baseball on Thursday until the game ended as a 2-2 tie due to darkness. The tie is the first for the Jumbos in nine years since a 7-7 draw at Methodist on March 19, 2002.
The Jumbos quickly pulled in front of the Bishops thanks to an rbi double in the top of the first inning by red-hot senior RF Chase Rose (Paradise Valley, AZ). That deficit was almost immediately erased though, when NCWC shortstop Justin Rahm ripped a two-out blast over the left field wall in the bottom of the inning.
Little did the two squads realize, there was a lot of baseball remaining. After playing to an even 2-2 through nine innings, Wesleyan and the Jumbos competed for an additional seven frames before finally finishing in a 16-inning draw.
Wesleyan's second run came after first baseman Zach Alexander zipped a shot up the middle in the bottom of the fifth inning to score right fielder Andre Nichols. The junior had previously led the inning off with a double and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Jumbos, before coming home on the Alexander single.
Tufts evened the contest in the eighth with a run on a groundout to third base by freshman Nate Izzo (Saunderstown, RI) that plated junior 3B Sam Sager (Cranston, RI), who had led off with a single. Bishops relief pitcher Ben Longton did a phenomenal job holding the Jumbos to just one run as he inherited a pair of base runners upon entering the contest and then gave up a base-loading hit to the first batter he faced. The freshman forced the next batter to hit a groundball and then covered first base to record the out himself.
The Winterville, NC native retired the side in order in the ninth frame and then returned in the 10th and recorded a pair of strikeouts and forced the final batter to pop out to shallow right field.
After a good start by Tufts senior Derek Miller (Whitman, MA) - five hits and one earned run in seven innings - sophomore Alex Cronkite (Palos Verdes Estates, CA) came on and blanked the Bishops for 3.1 innings on one hit.
The final six frames overall were a pitching showcase as the two teams combined for just two hits. Blue and Gold right-hander Chad Womble threw four innings allowing no runs and no hits while striking out four, which included the side in the 13th. Jumbo senior reliever Ed Bernstein (Foxborough, MA) went 5.2 innings allowing just one hit with eight K's.
Tufts finished with 11 hits, including three from Rose and two each by senior SS David LeResche (St. Louis, MO), Sager and sophomore 1B Tom Howard (Rockville Centre, NY). Alexander and Rahm each had two of Wesleyan's eight hits.
The Jumbos, playing every day this week, have a 2 pm start at Christopher Newport tomorrow. The Blue and Gold return to USA South Conference action Friday and Saturday as they host Greensboro at 4 pm and 1 pm respectively.
Game Box Score
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Game release courtesy of North Carolina Wesleyan College
