MEDFORD, MA (April 15, 2023) -- The Tufts University baseball team scored five runs in the second inning, and never trailed after that as the Jumbos knocked off visiting Bowdoin College 8-5 in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play from Sol Gittleman Park in just under two hours.
Despite the combined 13 runs and 21 hits from the teams, the contest was played at a quick pace as both starters
Connor Kinney from Tufts and Bowdoin starter Jason Bogdanos worked at a quick pace. The 1:51 time for a nine-inning game was the fastest this season for the Jumbos, and the fastest since playing a nine-inning contest at Johnson & Wales University March 15 of last season in a 7-2 win.
The Jumbos (15-6, 4-0 NESCAC) had to come from behind on Friday, as Bowdoin (12-7, 2-2 NESCAC) saw Stephen Simoes homer over the Brown Monster in right field on the second batter of the game. Kinney would settle in from that point, getting the next seven batters out while allowing his squad to get comfortable at the plate.
Tufts did just that in the bottom of the second, as
Todd Stawiecki got the rally going with a one-out single to right field.
Ben Leonard and
Connor Bowman followed with singles, as Bowman's plated Stawiecki to tie the game at one.
Patrick Solomon came up next and doubled to the right-center gap to bring around Leonard, and the Jumbos took a 3-1 lead on the next batter as
Ozzie Fleischer pushed across a run on an infield single. Tufts added two more runs in the frame on a double steal and error to finish the inning with a four-run lead.
An inning later, Solomon picked up his second RBI in as many innings as he singled to center field to score Leonard, who singled with two outs to right field to start the rally. In the bottom of the fourth,
Jimmy Evans tacked on another run for the Jumbos as he belted a 378 foot homer over the right-field wall, as the ball left the bat at 97 MPH to make the score 7-1.
The Polar Bears wouldn't go away though as Gabe Peckler hit the second homer of the game for Bowdoin in the top of the sixth, a three-run blast to right field, to make the score 7-4. Tufts got one of those runs right back in the bottom half of the inning, as Evans doubled off the very top of the right-field wall to bring around Fleischer after he was hit by a pitch to start the stanza.
Bowdoin pulled to within three in the top of the eighth on a lead-off home run by Ben McKenzie, but reliever
Aidan Tucker retired six of the final seven batters to clinch the game and record the save.
Evans had a solid game as he went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, in addition to his third homer of the campaign, and Leonard was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Stawiecki added two singles, and Solomon was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Kinney went six innings, allowing four runs on six hits over 73 pitches, and Tucker needed just 28 pitches to go three frames as he surrendered one earned run and two hits.
McKenzie and Kevin Murray each had a pair of hits for the Polar Bears, and Connor Cassady worked two scoreless innings of relief out of the bullpen.
Tufts and Bowdoin will complete their three-game set on Saturday afternoon, as the two squads will play a conference doubleheader at Gittleman Park at noon in Medford.
--JUMBOS--
