Box Score NORTHBORO – Senior Kyle Slinger pitched seven strong innings and senior catcher Bryan Egan went 3 for 4 with four rbis and two runs scored as the Tufts baseball team won 10-1 against Bowdoin on Monday night at the New England Baseball Complex.
With the victory, Tufts took the NESCAC East Division series over the Polar Bears. The teams had split a double-header on Friday. The Jumbos improved to 11-4 (2-1 NESCAC East) and the Polar Bears dropped to 6-10 (1-2).
Slinger, a first team All-American last season, was making his first start since opening day following an injury. Bowdoin senior 2B Aaron Rosen greeted him with a lead-off home run, his third of the season, putting Bowdoin out front 1-0. That would be the only run the Tufts lefty allowed, as he finished seven innings giving up five hits with five K's and two walks.
Egan began his big night as the Jumbos responded immediately in the bottom of the first. A one-out single by sophomore RF Oscar Kutch was followed by a pair of walks that loaded the bases. Egan ripped a two-run single to left giving Tufts the lead.
Polar Bear senior LF Cole DiRoberto roped a line drive to the fence in left to lead off the fourth, but Jumbo junior Cody McCallum threw him out trying to stretch it into a double.
After allowing the first-inning runs, Bowdoin starter Erik Jacobsen settled in and retired 12 in a row. However, the Jumbos broke up the stretch in a big way with a pair of home runs. Sophomore 2B Tom Petry hit a solo shot to left making it 3-1 in the fifth and Egan smashed a two-run homer in the sixth putting Tufts ahead 5-1. Freshman 2B Tommy O'Hara had doubled down the left field line ahead of Egan's homer. The home runs were the first of both Petry and Egan's careers.
Bowdoin put runners on first and second with out in the seventh on singles by junior catcher Chris Nadeau and senior 3B Chris Cameron. However, Slinger squelched the threat with a strike out and a fly ball to end his outing.
The Jumbos turned it into a rout with five runs in the eighth. Junior SS Matt Moser and senior 1B James Howard started the rally with rbi singles, Kutch broke it open with a two-run single and McCallum topped it off with a run-scoring double.
Tufts freshman Zach Brown finished the victory with two perfect innings of relief, striking out four.
Tufts had 12 hits with all nine starters recording at least one. Kutch was 2 for 5 with two rbis and a run. O'Hara scored twice.
The Polar Bears finished with five hits. Jacobsen took the loss, giving up six hits and five runs in 5.2 innings. He struck out four and walked two.
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