Box Score
ROCKY MOUNT, NC - Sophomore DH James Howard (Rockville Centre, NY) drove home four runs, including a key two-run single in the seventh inning that helped lift the Tufts baseball team to a 9-8 victory at North Carolina Wesleyan on Thurdsay.
Trailing 8-6 entering the top of the seventh, the Jumbos responded with three runs to take a 9-8 advantage. All three runs were scored after two outs. Tufts hitters worked three walks in the inning, including an rbi bases-on-balls by senior SS Scott Staniewicz (Boca Raton, FL). Howard followed with his two-run single to left giving Tufts the lead.
Freshman Matt Moser (Great Falls, VA), the last of five Tufts pitchers, shut out the Bishops over the final three innings. He struck out five while allowing three hits and earned his second save. Moser ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
The Jumbos had led 3-0 after two innings. Senior 1B Eric Weikert (Avondale Estates, GA) doubled home a run and junior LF Nate Izzo (Saunderstown, RI) had an rbi single in the first. Junior 2B Tim Mitropoulos (Winchester, MA) led off the second with a walk and scored on a base hit by sophomore 3B Wade Hauser (Palo Alto, CA).
After lead-off man Justin DiSanto singled and scored unearned in the North Carolina Wesleyan third, the Jumbos built their advantage to 5-1 with two runs in the fourth. Howard delivered both with a one-out triple to left-center.
However, in the bottom of the fourth North Carolina Wesleyan exploded for seven runs to take an 8-5 lead. They took advantage of four walks and a hit by pitch in a row to start the inning. Senior SS Jake Alexander hit a two-run single and sophomore 1B J.J. Rodriguez added a run-scoring single as the Bishops sent 10 men to the plate.
The Jumbos rallied with two outs to get one in the sixth as Staniewicz hit a single, Howard walked, and Hauser came through with an rbi single down the left field line to make it 8-6.
The top of the order was very productive for Tufts as Staniewicz went 2 for 4 with two runs and an rbi, Howard finished 2 for 4 with the four rbi, and Hauser had a 3 for 6 with two rbis and a run game.
The Jumbos (6-2) were out-hit 12-10. DiSanto was 2 for 5 with two runs and an rbi for NCWC (11-17), while Alexander went 2 for 5 with three rbi and a run. Dillon Moore took the loss in relief for the Bishops.
Tufts plays on Friday at Lynchburg in a 5 pm start. The Bishops host Greensboro on Friday at 3:30 pm.
Game Box Score
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