Box Score 
MEDFORD - Sophomore shortstop Matt Moser drove in five runs, including a pivotal three-run double in the fifth inning, as the Tufts baseball team defeated Amherst College, 9-5, in game one of the NESCAC Championship Friday afternoon at Huskins Field.
The Jumbos (31-5) advance to the winner's bracket and will play tomorrow at 10:30 am against Wesleyan (24-10). The Cardinals were a 4-3 winner against Bates in game two of the tournament played at Babson's Govoni Field today. Amherst (28-8) will face Bates (19-16) in an elimination game at Bentley University tomorrow at 10:30 am. Play continues later on Saturday and into Sunday.
Amherst started strong against Tufts junior Kyle Slinger. Senior SS Taiki Kasuga led off the game with a line drive to right-center that was caught on a spectacular play by Jumbo junior CF Connor McDavitt. However, senior CF Alex Hero followed with a single and then scored on a two-out double by freshman LF Yanni Thanopoulos for a 1-0 Lord Jeffs lead.
Starter John Cook surrendered a single and a double to McDavitt among four Tufts hits in the first four innings, but the Lord Jeffs maintained their 1-0 lead.
The momentum changed in the fifth. Amherst had runners on first and second with no outs, but then Slinger picked freshman RF Anthony Spina off second base and Kasuga was caught stealing to deflate the rally.
In the bottom of the inning, the Jumbos would score four times unearned. After a passed ball on a strikeout allowed junior RF James Howard to reach base, McDavitt came through with his third hit of the game to tie the score at 1-1. Cook got a strikeout, but hit the next two batters loading the bases. Moser then drove his three-run double to left-center for a 4-1 Jumbo lead.
Amherst retaliated in the sixth with a one-out double to left by Thanopoulos followed by a two-run home run to left-center off the top of the fence by sophomore catcher Connor Gunn. That made it a 4-3 Tufts margin.
The Jumbos answered by scoring after two were out in the sixth to take a 5-3 advantage. Freshman 2B Tom Petry hit an infield single, McDavitt singled for his fourth hit and then sophomore LF Cody McCallum hit an rbi single.
Slinger fought his way through six innings allowing six hits and three runs with five strikeouts and three walks. He would eventually earn his eighth victory after he was relieved in the seventh by sophomore Andrew David.
Tufts would tag Amherst reliever Keenan Szulik with four runs in the eighth to go up 9-3. McDavitt got his fifth hit in the inning, senior 3B Wade Hauser was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score a run, senior 1B Max Freccia singled home another run and Moser hit a two-run single.
The Jumbos would need those insurance runs as Amherst rallied in the top of the ninth. Junior 3B Tyler Jacobs led off with a single and scored when sophomore 1B Dave Cunningham followed with a double. A sac fly by Spina made it 9-5 and the tying run was in the hole. However, the Jumbos sealed the victory with a Hauser-to-Petry-to Freccia double play.
After getting just four hits in the first four innings, Tufts had eight in the final four. McDavitt finished 5 for 5 with two runs and an rbi. Moser was 3 for 4 to go with his five rbis. Freccia went 2 for 4 with a run and an rbi while Howard and Hauser both scored twice. David earned his first save of the season going three innings allowing three hits and two runs.
Thanopoulos and Jacobs each had two of Amherst's nine hits. Cook dropped to 4-3 with the loss, giving up nine hits and five runs, but only one earned. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Game Photos by Kelvin Ma / Tufts
#
