MEDFORD, MA (March 29, 2023) -- The home vibes stayed high for the Tufts University baseball team, moving to 4-0 at new Sol Gittleman Park with a 9-5 non-conference victory over UMass Boston on a sunny afternoon in Medford. The contest was a make-up of a postponement of Tuesday afternoon's game that was originally slated to be played in Boston.
The Jumbos (7-5) got back into the win column thanks to a quick start and some clutch hitting late in the contest. In the opening frame, Tufts took the lead as
Ben Leonard walked to start the game and promptly stole second base.
Jimmy Evans would rip a single to right field to bring Leonard in, and later in the frame
Jackson Duffy singled in two runs with two outs to make it 3-0.
Tufts would get some great pitching on Wednesday, as
Lucas Gustavson and
Jack Schwartz each went two frames while allowing just one hit and combining for four strikeouts.
Gavin Brown entered and worked a scoreless fifth inning, and the Jumbos added to their lead in the bottom half of the frame as Leonard doubled to right center, and then scored after stealing third and scampering home after an overthrow on the play.
The Beacons wouldn't go away though, as Mariano Jimenez doubled in a pair of runs to make it 4-2 with one out. Following a pitching change for the Jumbos, Jimenez would come around to score on a single by Brone Parker to make it a one-run game.
Wasting no time getting the runs back, the Jumbos responded with four runs in the bottom half, all coming with two outs.
Henry Fleckner reached on an error to start the rally, and then moved to second on a stolen base.
Patrick Solomon would come up and deliver a clutch two-out hit to score Fleckner and keep the inning going. Evans was intentionally walked to get to
Connor Flavin, who ripped a three-run homer to right-center field to break open the game and make it 8-3.
UMass Boston came right back with two runs in the top of the eighth, but
Brendan McFall came out of the bullpen to squash the rally and keep it a three-run game. Tufts added on a run in the bottom of the eight on a RBI double by Fleckner and McFall worked a clean ninth to earn his third save of the season.
Solomon finished 2-for-4 with a RBI and run scored, while Leonard was 1-for-4 with two runs, a walk and two stolen bases. Evans was 1-for-3 with two runs scored as well, and Duffy finished 1-for-4 with his two runs driven in.
Gustavson got the victory for the Jumbos, as Tufts sent six pitchers to the mound on Wednesday afternoon. Brown struck out two and allowed two hits in his two scoreless innings, and McFall got four outs while walking one and striking out two.
Parker was 2-for-5 for the Beacons, Jimenez was 2-for-3 with a walk, two doubles and two RBI and Craig Corless also had two hits in the loss. Tim Cianciolo went 5.0 innings, allowing four hits and four runs while fanning five.
The Jumbos will open New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play on Friday afternoon, as Tufts hosts Bates College at 3 p.m. for game one of a three-game set with the Bobcats this weekend on Sol Gittleman Field.
