MEDFORD, MA (April 19, 2023) -- The Tufts University baseball team was able to fend off multiple rallies by visiting Babson College Wednesday, winning its seventh straight ballgame with a 4-2 victory over the Beavers in non-conference play from Sol Gittleman Park on a chilly day in Medford.
The Jumbos (19-6) showed once again that they are strong in close games, as they improved to 7-1 in games decided by two or less runs. Tufts also upped its record to 12-0 at home this season, and currently have the fifth longest active home winning streak in the nation at 13 dating back to last season.
The victory certainly didn't come easily for the Jumbos on Wednesday, but they made just enough plays to get the victory. Tufts starter
Gavin Brown looked solid early in the contest, allowing the hosts to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third as
Patrick Solomon singled to lead off the frame. He would eventually come around to score on a Jess McCullough ground out to get Tufts on the board. A batter later,
Jimmy Evans doubled off the left field wall to bring around
Henry Fleckner to double the Tufts lead.
In the top of the fourth, Babson got its first real threat going but Brown worked around runners at first and second with one out to keep the Beavers off the board. Babson would stay silenced until the top of the sixth, as the visitors plated one off Jumbo reliever
Jack Schwartz. The senior hurler was able to minimize the damage though, getting a two-out strikeout with the bases loaded to end the rally.
Tufts wasted no time getting the run back as
Connor Bowman lifted his first home run of the season over the left field wall to make it 3-1 after six innings. In the top of the seventh, Babson' Patrick Manning tripled off of
Matt Donato and scored on an infield single to make it a one-run ballgame once again but Donato induced a pair of ground outs to once again stymie the Beavers.
The exchange of runs continued in the bottom of the seventh, as
Jimmy Evans started the frame with an infield single and eventually came around to score on a fielding error to give the Jumbos some insurance. Sophomore
Connor Podeszwa worked a scoreless eighth inning to hold the lead for Tufts, and
Brendan McFall got his sixth save of the season with a scoreless ninth to nail down the win.
Tufts managed just six hits on the day, the second-fewest in a game at Gittleman Park this year, but was still able to get the job done. Evans was 2-for-3 with a walk, stolen base, RBI and run scored, while Bowman finished with two hits including his homer. Fleckner and Solomon each singled as well, scoring once for Tufts. Brown got his first win of the season for the Jumbos, striking out six and scattering two hits while walking a pair on 85 pitches.
Manning was 2-for-4 for the Beavers, walking once as well, and Chris Basile added a pair of hits for Babson. Former Tufts University player
Ryan Noone returned to Medford as a Beaver and added a base hit as well in the defeat.
The Jumbos will play their first road New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) games of the season this weekend, heading to Hartford to battle Trinity College (CT) in league play Friday, April 21 at 3 p.m. while taking on the Bantams for two Saturday, April 22 at noon.
--JUMBOS--
