Box Score
DANVILLE, VA - Sophomore DH Bryan Egan (Watervliet, NY) drove in four runs as the Tufts baseball team improved to 5-0 with an 11-10 win at Averett on Tuesday afternoon.
The Jumbos never trailed in the game, but had to cut down the potential tying run at the plate in the bottom of the eighth. After fielding an infield single, senior Scott Staniewicz (Boca Raton, FL) threw home to junior Nick Cutsumpas (White Plains, NY) to get Averett's Robert Winer and keep the Tufts lead at 11-10.
After Tufts loaded the bases with one out but couldn't score in the top of the ninth, Jumbo freshman reliever Matt Moser (Great Falls, VA) retired the Cougars' 3-4-5 hitters in the bottom of the ninth to record the save.
Egan singled home a run and scored as Tufts took a 3-0 lead in the first. He plated the fourth Tufts run in the seocnd with a sacrifice fly, scoring sophomore CF Connor McDavitt (Holden, MA) after a lead-off bunt single.
Sophomore 1B Kevin Alvarez smacked a three-run home run as part of a four-run Averett fourth inning that tied the game at 4-4. Tufts got the lead right back, with senior Tom Howard (Rockville Centre, NY) hitting a one-out double and scoring on McDavitt's single in the fifth.
Both teams would score three runs each in the sixth and seventh. Tufts did it after two were out in the sixth, with Howard singling home a run and scoring. With Tufts leading 8-4, Cougar DH Cody Moore's rbi single and run scored were part of the host's three-run sixth that pulled them within 8-7. Egan's two-run single in the eighth helped put Tufts back up by four (11-7), but Alvarez (five rbi) doubled home two runs in the bottom of the frame and Averett trailed 11-10. However, that's as close as they would get.
In addition to helping record the final out, Staniewicz was 4 for 5 with two runs at the plate for Tufts. Howard finished 2 for 5 with two runs and an rbi. McDavitt ended up 2 for 4 with two runs and an rbi. Senior RF Eric Weikert (Avondale Estates, GA) had three hits.
Junior tri-captain Christian Sbily (Gaithersburg, MD) started for the Jumbos and gave up five hits and four runs in four innings. Junior Josh Manning (Upton, MA) got the win in relief.
The teams combined for 30 hits, including 13 by Averett (18-9). Alvarez was 3 for 4 with five rbis and a run. Senior CF Jordan Kidd went 2 for 4 and scored two runs. Junior SS Jason Carter finished 3 for 4 with two runs and an rbi, and senior C James Fiorella drove home two runs. Tyler Long took the loss for the Cougards, letting up six hits and five runs (three earned) in 4.1 innings. Chris Moyer hurled two innings of scoreless relief late in the game.
Tufts plays again tonight at Greensboro College in a scheduled 7 pm start. Averett welcomes Lynchburg to Owen-Fulton Field tomorrow at 2:30 pm.
Game Box Score
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