CLAREMONT, CA (March 19, 2023) -- The Tufts University baseball team dropped its first games of the 2023 season Sunday afternoon, falling in both ends of a non-conference doubleheader with Pomona-Pitzer with scores of 5-1 and 10-4.
Game 1: Pomona-Pitzer 5, Tufts 1
The Jumbos fell for the first time this season, as a five-run second inning for the Sagehens was the difference. The big inning for the hosts was highlighted with a two-run single from George Nahabedia, followed by another two-run base hit from JC Ng.
Tufts had runners on in every inning of the contest, and finally broke through for a run in the top of the sixth as
Jackson Duffy played
Connor Davidson with a sacrifice fly. In the top of the seventh, the Jumbos threatened as
Jesse McCullough singled for his first collegiate hit but he was erased on a game-ending double play.
Davidson was 2-for-3 while
Henry Fleckner was 2-for-2 with a double.
Connor Flavin pinch-hit and doubled in his only at-bat, as the Jumbos finished with seven hits for the game.
Hunter Beindorff worked three strong innings of relief, allowing three hits and a walk while fanning two hitters.
Jack Edwards also posted a scoreless inning out of the bullpen.
Harry Deliyanni got the win for the Sagehens, allowing six hits and one earned run over six innings. Ng, Isaac Kim and Jackson Fleming all had multi-hit contests for P-P.
Game 2: Pomona-Pitzer 10, Tufts 4
Tufts led 4-3 in the fifth inning but Pomona-Pitzer plated four runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth to pull away for the doubleheader sweep.
The Sagehens took a 2-0 lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning, but the Jumbos came back with three runs in the top of the third to take the lead.
Owen McKiernan posted a run-scoring sacrifice fly, while
Connor Flavin plated a pair of runs with a single to center field.
The Sagehens got a run in the bottom of the third, but Tufts went back ahead with a run in the top of the fifth thanks to a run-scoring single through the infield by Davidson.
The deciding inning came in the bottom of the fifth, as P-P scored four runs on just one hit to take a 7-4 edge. Pomona-Pitzer pushed across two more runs in the bottom of the sixth and another on a Kim double in the bottom of the eight to lock down the victory.
Patrick Solomon was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a double, while McKiernan scored a run while adding an RBI.
Matt Donato pitched a scoreless inning of relief, and
Jack Chapleski also allowed only one hit over 2.1 frames, surrendering one unearned run.
Both teams posted just five hits for the game, but the Sagehens took advantage of 11 walks, four hit batsmen and four Tufts' errors.
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Tufts will continue its action in California tomorrow, Monday, March 20 at 3:00 p.m. local time, taking on Whittier College in non-conference play.
--JUMBOS--
