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Freshman Nate Izzo exploded for eight rbi at Eastern Connecticut
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WILLIMANTIC, CT - Freshman RF Nate Izzo (Saunderstown, RI) hit two home runs and drove in eight runs as the Tufts University baseball team traveled to Eastern Connecticut State University on Monday and beat the Warriors 13-9.
Izzo hit a three-run home run to center field in the second, and then topped that with a grand slam during an eight-run third inning that put the visitors up 11-3 early. The Jumbos then added two more in the fourth, one on an rbi single from senior SS David LeResche (St. Louis, MO) and the other on Izzo's sacrifice fly for a 13-3 advantage.
The Jumbos held that lead into the late innings until the Warriors chipped away with two in the seventh, one in the eighth and three in the ninth. The potential tying run was on deck for Eastern, but Jumbo reliever Ed Bernstein (Foxborough, MA) continued his outstanding senior season by recording the final two outs.
It was Eastern who had put up big numbers early, scoring three in the bottom of the first on a home run by senior RF Jim Scult off Tufts starter Pat O'Donnell (Worcester, MA). With the big lead, O'Donnell worked well with the lead over eight innings and took the victory to improve to 4-0. He let up six runs and 13 hits and left with a 13-6 lead.
Tufts sent 12 batters to the plate in their third inning. They had consecutive rbi singles by senior LF Ian Goldberg (Lake Forest, IL), senior DH Chase Rose (Paradise Valley, AZ) and freshman catcher Nick Cutsumpas (White Plains, NY). Two batters later, Izza hit his grand slam to left. His sacrifice fly in the fourth gave him eight rbi before the game was half-old.
Trailing 13-3, Eastern got two back in the seventh on a two-run double by Schult. After the solo run in the eighth, the Warriors rallied for three more runs in the ninth on a two-run single by senior first baseman Andrew Dewing (Swampscott, MA) and a run-scoring single freshman second baseman Mitch Plourde (Ellington, CT). Bernstein, who has not allowed an earned run in 22.1 innnigs this season, sandwiched two strikeouts around Plourde's rbi single to end the game.
In a game featuring 33 combined hits, Eastern had 18 and Tufts finished with 15. Seven different Jumbos finished with two hits. Rose scored three runs. Senior centerfielder Shane Kingsley (Beacon Falls, NY) and Schult had four hits each and junior DH Steve Cammuso (Rutland, MA) had three for ECSU.
In the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association poll released today, Eastern was #2 with two first place votes and Tufts was fifth.
The Jumbos are scheduled to be at Wesleyan on Wednesday for a 3:30 start. Eastern hosts Amherst College Wednesday at 6 pm.
Game Box Score
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