Box Score NORTHBORO, MA – Tufts and Bowdoin split a NESCAC East Division baseball double-header on Friday with Jumbo junior Andrew David and Polar Bear senior Harry Van Zant both pitching well. Bowdoin won the opener 6-1 and Tufts took the nightcap 6-0.
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| Connor McDavitt homered for the first time since March 19, 2012 in game two |
David pitched a six-hit shutout, the third of his career and first since his freshman season in 2013. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. Van Zant tossed a complete game in the seven-inning opener, not allowing an earned run or a walk while giving up four hits and striking out three.
Van Zant retired the first seven Jumbos he faced until sophomore 2B Tom Petry singled through the left side in the third. He was erased on a double-play ball. Meanwhile, Bowdoin took a 1-0 lead off Tufts starter Tim Superko in the second. Senior LF Cole DiRoberto led off with a single to right and moved to third on a walk and a sacrifice. Junior RF Peter Cimini's sac fly brought him home.
Superko settled in and retired the next 10 batters. The game remained 1-0 through five. Tufts junior SS Matt Moser had doubled down the first-base line with one out in the fifth, but did not score. That was the only Jumbo who touched second in the first five innings against Van Zant.
Bowdoin broke the game open scoring five runs in the sixth. Senior 2B Aaron Rosen led off with a double to center on a ball that Tufts senior CF Connor McDavitt nearly snared. That started a rally during which senior DH Erik Jacobsen, Cimini and junior catcher Chris Nadeau all singled home runs. Bowdoin had four hits in the inning and the other pair of runs scored on a fielder's choice and a sac fly.
Tufts scored its lone run in the top of the sixth when pinch hitter Bryan Egan took second on an error to lead off. He went to third on a ground ball and scored on an infield single by junior LF Cody McCallum.
Cimini had two rbis and DiRoberto scored twice for the Polar Bears. Moser was 2 for 3 for Tufts, while senior tri-captain Tom Ryan pitched 1.2 innings of one-hit, no-run relief.
In game two, McDavitt led off the bottom of the first with an opposite field home run to right. The shot was his first home run since the third game of his career at Guilford on March 19, 2012.
Tufts would add to its lead when Bowdoin starter Harry Ridge got wild with two outs in the third. He walked and hit a batter before Tufts freshman 3B Tommy O'Hara made him pay by drilling a two-run double to the right field corner making it 3-0 Tufts.
Senior catcher Will Glazier and senior 1B James Howard then hit back-to-back doubles to the gaps scoring the fourth Tuft run in the bottom of the fourth.
Other than Rosen, David was mowing down Bowdoin batters. However, the Polar Bear senior second baseman went 4 for 4 with four singles. He got into scoring position in the first and third, but David left him there. The pitcher then picked Rosen off first base for the first out in the sixth.
Bowdoin senior RF Tom Wells, who had entered in the bottom of the second, doubled to right-center on his first swing of the day. However, David stranded him there and the Polar Bears wouldn't get to second base the rest of the way.
The Jumbos padded their lead with two in the seventh. McDavitt led off with a single and McCallum was hit by a pitch for the third time in the game. They scored on O'Hara's single through the right side and on Egan's infield single, respectively.
O'Hara was 2 for 4 with three rbis for Tufts in game two. McDavitt went 2 for 5 with two runs and an rbi at the top. Glazier finished with two hits and McCallum scored twice.
Ridge, who was one of four Bowdoin pitchers, took the loss.
The games were played on turf at the New England Baseball Complex (NEBC). Tufts (10-4, 1-1 NESCAC East) and the Polar Bears (6-9, 1-1) play the third and final game of their series on Monday night at the NEBC. Game time is 7 pm.
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