Box Score NORFOLK, Va. – Senior Oscar Kutch tripled with one out and scored on a single by sophomore catcher Eric Schnepf in the top of the 10th inning, then junior closer Ian Kinney recorded a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th as the Tufts University baseball ended its spring trip with a rousing 7-6 victory at Virginia Wesleyan College on Sunday.
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| Freshman Brent Greeley provided great middle relief for the Jumbos |
The Jumbos (8-1) trailed 5-0 after two innings before rallying for four runs in the top of the sixth to tie the score at 5-5. Tufts took a 6-5 lead in the eighth, but the Marlins tied the game in the bottom of the inning. After a scoreless ninth, Tufts won it in the 10th.
Tufts got great work from its bullpen as freshman Brent Greeley went 3.2 innings allowing three hits and no runs in relief of starter Tim Superko. Kinney earned the win after 3.1 innings of two-hit, one-run relief.
Three hits and two Jumbo errors led to three Viriginia Wesleyan runs in the bottom of the first. Deon Hammond had an rbi single and scored on a double-play ball later in the frame. Taylor Erby homered with two outs for the 3-0 advantage.
Hammond's triple was the highlight of the VWC second when they had three more hits and scored twice. The three-bagger scored Brandon Kussmaul, who had singled home a run earlier in the inning.
Marlins starter Jay Crusemire limited Tufts to no runs and three hits in the first three innings, but the Jumbos got on the board in the fourth. After walks to Hayden Gruber and Casey Santos-Ocampo caused a pitching change, Kutch walked to load the bases. Gruber scored on a double-play ball as Viriginia Wesleyan limited the damage.
Senior SS Christian Zazzali hit a two-run single in the sixth inning to spark the Jumbos' game-tying rally. Tom Petry followed with an rbi single and Harry Brown hit a sacrifice fly that tied the ballgame at 5-5.
The Jumbos manufactured the go-ahead run in the eighth as Kutch was hit by a pitch, moved to second on Schnepf's sacrifice, took third on a Zazzali single and scored on a sac fly by Tommy O'Hara. However, the Marlins came right back and tied the score 6-6 when Jimmy Ziemke doubled with one out and scored on a single by Austin Obenour.
Both teams turned double plays in the ninth to erase base-runners, leading to the decisive 10th.
Zazzali finished 2 for 4 with two rbis and a run for Tufts, while Santos-Ocampo went 2 for 4 with a run and O'Hara also had two hits. Kutch and Gruber scored twice.
Hammond, Erby, Randy Niesz and Daniel Petro all had two hits for the Marlins. Kussmaul scored twice from his spot at the top of the order. Jacob Pilarski took the pitching loss in relief.
The Jumbos return home to host Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Wednesday. VWC (10-11) is at Greensboro on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
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