MEDFORD, MA (April 15, 2023) -- The Tufts University baseball team celebrated Senior Day Saturday afternoon, taking both ends of a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) doubleheader with Bowdoin College with scores of 4-3 and 10-6 in play from Sol Gittleman Park. The Jumbos have now won 11 of their last 12 contests, including opening conference play with six straight victories.
Game 1: Tufts 4, Bowdoin 3 (9)
Senior
Connor Davidson lifted a game-winning sacrifice fly to center field in the bottom of the ninth inning, as
Henry Fleckner dove in just before the tag to clinch the victory in the opening game of the day.
The Jumbos got on the board first in the bottom of the first, as
Jesse McCullough tripled with one out and then came home on a RBI groundout by
Jimmy Evans. In the bottom of the second,
Patrick Solomon walked and came around to score on a double steal with
Ozzie Fleischer with two outs.
The Polar Bears took their first lead of the game in the top of the third, as Kevin Murray lifted a three-run homer to right-center field for a 3-2 Bowdoin advantage. Tufts would even the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth, as
Ben Leonard lifted a solo homer to right field for his second of the season.
Neither team would score again until extras, though Bowdoin threatened in the top of the ninth but
Brendan McFall worked out of a bases loaded jam with a fly out and ground out to keep the game deadlocked at three.
In the bottom of the ninth, Fleckner would get the rally started with an infield single with one out. He then stole second base, moving to third on a wild pitch. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Davidson lifted a fly ball to center field and the throw to the plate was just late to get Fleckner to give the Jumbos the win.
Fleischer was 2-for-4 with a stolen base, while Solomon reached twice on walks and stole a pair of bases.
Connor Flavin was 1-for-2 with two walks as well. Tufts starter
Lucas Gustavson worked three innings, while
Cameron Mayer came out of the bullpen to go 5.1 innings, allowing no runs and just one hit.
Game 2: Tufts 10, Bowdoin 6
The Jumbos offense scored in each of the first five innings, including plating three in the third inning and four runs in the fourth for all the runs they would need. Bowdoin rallied with five in the top of the sixth inning, but it wasn't enough complete the comeback.
Tufts scored early in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from McCullough, but a Polar Bear homer in the top of the second tied the game at one. The Jumbos would respond with another run in the bottom of the second, as Solomon tripled in
Clay Sowell to put Tufts up 2-1.
The hosts added to their lead in the bottom of the third with three runs, as Fleckner lifted his first collegiate home run to start the frame. Leonard ripped a single off the right-field wall to plate a run, and Solomon walked with the bases loaded to make the score 5-1.
The Jumbos kept their foot on the gas with four more in the fourth inning, highlighted by RBI doubles from both Evans and Leonard. Evans knocked in another run in the bottom of the fifth with a RBI single up the middle to make it 10-1 in favor of the Jumbos.
In the top of the sixth, Bowdoin (12-9, 2-4 NESCAC) got back into the game with five runs on five hits, but
Liam Wilson got out of the jam in relief of
Connor Podeszwa to keep a four-run lead for Tufts. In the top of the seven, McFall entered and shut the door to clinch the three-game series sweep on the weekend.
Fleckner finished 2-for-4 with a walk, RBI and four runs scored as he also stole two bases on the game. Evans was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run, while Leonard was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs knocked in. Fleischer added two hits, while Flavin was 1-for-3 with a RBI, two runs and two stolen bases.
Podeszwa got his third win of the season as he went 5.1 innings, scattering nine hits while striking out six and allowing five earned runs. McFall struck out one his scoreless inning for the Jumbos.
--
Tufts (17-6, 6-0 NESCAC) will take on Johnson & Wales University Tuesday, April 18 at 6 p.m. in non-conference play from Sol Gittleman Park.
--JUMBOS--
