AMHERST, MA (April 7, 2023) -- The Tufts University baseball team won its sixth straight Friday evening, scoring three runs in the seventh and eighth inning to rally for a 4-3 non-conference victory at Amherst College in play from Memorial Field.
The contest was the first of a three-game, non-conference set this weekend in Amherst, and the game was tight throughout. Late in the contest with the Mammoths (8-6-1) leading 2-1, Tufts battled back to tie the game in the top of the seventh after
Connor Flavin plated
Ben Leonard who had singled to lead off the frame.
In the top of the eighth, Tufts (12-5) got a pair of clutch two-out hits to take the lead as
Henry Fleckner scored
Jackson Duffy from second base to make it 3-2. Fleckner advanced to second on a wild pitch, coming around on a RBI knock by Leonard to give the Jumbos some insurance.
Amherst came back with a single run in the bottom of the eight, but Tufts closer
Brendan McFall came in out of the bullpen and got the next five outs to pick up his conference-leading fifth save of the season. McFall also ranks in the top 10 in the nation in saves with his fifth Friday.
The Jumbos had taken a 1-0 lead early in the game, as
Jimmy Evans scored on a passed ball in the top of the first. That's where the game would stay until the bottom of the fifth when the host Mammoths plated one on a RBI double. Amherst took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth on another run-scoring double.
Amherst had a chance in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game, but a Mammoth pinch-runner got caught up between second and third after a ball in the dirt to end the inning.
Leonard finished 2-for-5 with a RBI and run scored, while Duffy and Fleckner were each 1-for-4 with a run scored.
Connor Bowman walked twice for the Jumbos, and
Connor Davidson added a double.
The pitching staff was very solid on Friday, as
Connor Kinney went 4.2 innings allowing four hits and an earned run to earn a no-decision on the start.
Jack Schwartz got the final our of the fifth inning, and
Aidan Tucker got the win after going 2.1 innings, allowing one earned run and three hits before turning things over to McFall for the save.
Saturday's doubleheader between Tufts and Amherst will start at noon in Amherst.
--JUMBOS--
