Box Score MANSFIELD, Conn. – Senior catcher Harrison Frickman and freshman 1B Peter DeMaria both drove home two runs as the Tufts University baseball team began the last week of its regular season with an 8-4 victory at Eastern Connecticut State University on Monday night.
The Jumbos, who improved to 24-7, had 13 hits including three each by Frickman and junior 2B Elias Varinos. The Warriors, who dropped to 19-15, were led by two hits and two runs from freshman 2B Owen Marica.
Tufts opened the scoring with two runs on one hit in the second. DeMaria was hit by a pitch with one out and then junior RF Ryan Day walked. DeMaria scored on an Eastern error during a fielder's choice by junior 3B JP Knight, who then scored on a base hit by Frickman.
The Jumbos scored four more times in the third to up their margin to 6-0. DeMaria hit a two-run double scoring senior LF Casey Santos-Ocampo, who had reached on an error to start the frame, and sophomore DH Kyle Cortese, who had singled. After two were out, Knight singled to center scoring DeMaria and then took second on another Warriors' error. Frickman then delivered his second rbi single in as many innings.
Eastern cut the lead in half with three in the bottom of the third. After a one-out single by Marica, senior SS Dale Keller doubled him home for the host's first run. A single by senior LF Ryan Hood advanced Keller to third and he scored on another single by sophomore 1B Luke Broadhurst, Eastern's fourth consecutive hit. The Warriors loaded the bases and scored their third run on a walk by senior 3B William Coleman. Still with just one out in the inning, the Jumbos prevented further damage with a 1-6-3 double play.
Tufts left the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, an inning in which senior SS Will Shackelford had a single and Jumbos were intentionally walked twice.
The Warriors closed within 6-4 in the seventh when Marica singled to left and scored on an error.
Tufts got the run back in the top of the eighth as junior 2B Elias Varinos singled and scored on a single by Santos-Ocampo. The Jumbos added another in the top of the ninth with an infield single by Frickman and an rbi double from Varinos.
The Jumbos received four innings of one-hit relief - allowing only an unearned run – from sophomore Manny Ray, freshmen Steven Landry, Brendan McFall and Michael Volgende, who had three K's in the ninth. Junior Spencer Langdon started for Tufts and got the win with five innings allowing six hits and three runs.
Eastern used seven pitchers in the game with junior starter John Parker taking the loss (2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER). Junior Jack Risley threw 2.1 innings of two-hit, no-run relief. Keller had two hits for the hosts.
The Jumbos travel to Colby on Saturday to finish their NESCAC East schedule with a double-header. The Warriors are at Rhode Island College in Little East Conference action on Tuesday.
