WATERVILLE, ME (April 28, 2023) -- The Tufts University baseball team clinched the East Division top seed in the upcoming New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament Friday, as senior starter
Connor Kinney tossed a complete game in a 2-1 win over Colby College in play from Coombs Field.
Kinney upped his season record to 4-0 with one of his most dominant starts of the campaign, as the tall right-hander went all nine innings, striking out a season-high eight hitters while walking one and allowing only three hits.
The Jumbos scored in the top of the first as
Jesse McCullough reached on a fielding error with one out. McCullough stole his sixth base of the season, and
Connor Bowman doubled off the left-field wall to put Tufts up 1-0.
From there the Tufts' senior starter was rarely in trouble over the first eight innings of the contest, as Caleb Jung was the first hitter to reach with a double in the bottom of the third inning. Kinney quickly worked out of the jam, striking out the next two hitters to keep Tufts on top.
Kinney would retire 14 of the next 15 hitters, as he worked around a walk in the third inning to keep the Mules (21-8, 6-4 NESCAC) off the board. The Jumbos got some insurance in the top of the eighth, as
Connor Davidson reached to lead off the frame on an error.
Malcolm Whitfield pinch ran for Davidson, and scampered around to third on a sacrifice bunt from
Patrick Solomon. With two outs, Whitfield was able to race home on a passed ball to make it 2-0.
The Jumbos (24-6, 10-0 NESCAC) would get yet another shutdown inning from Kinney, as he retired Colby 1-2-3 n the eighth. Colby's first rally came in the ninth inning, as Clint Flippo singled up the middle with one out. Flippo moved to second on a ground out, and scored on a Cole Palmeri single with two outs.
Head coach
Paul Svagdis showed faith in his senior starter, and Kinney rewarded that faith as he recorded the final out on a strikeout to record the victory. Bowman posted three of the four hits on the day for the Jumbos, as he was 3-for-4 with a RBI. McCullough was 1-for-4 with a run scored and two stolen bases.
Colby starting pitcher Nicholas Thompson was the tough-luck loser, as he allowed no earned runs over 7.2 innings, striking out four and allowing three hits.
With the win, Tufts is assured of hosting the No. 4 team from the NESCAC West Division next weekend for a three-game series in the NESCAC Quarterfinals on Sol Gittleman Park Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7.
Colby and Tufts will finish the three-game series Saturday, April 29 at noon up in Waterville, ME.
--JUMBOS--
