AMHERST, MA (April 8, 2023) -- The Tufts University baseball team shook off a game one defeat to Amherst College, rallying for a 8-7 victory in game two in extra innings to clinch the weekend series victory in action from Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon. Tufts fell in the opening game Saturday 15-2 to the host Mammoths.
Game 1: Amherst 15, Tufts 2
The Jumbos took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on the second home run of the season by
Jimmy Evans, and
Connor Flavin followed with a single but those were the only hits that Tufts would get in game one.
Amherst would post three runs in the second, four in the third and six more in the fifth to pull away for the victory. Evans added a walk to his first-inning dinger, and
Ozzie Fleischer also walked twice in the game. The Jumbos did manage eight baserunners in the contest, but weren't able to bring any more around after the opening inning.
Game 2: Tufts 8, Amherst 7 (10)
The second game was a thriller, as both teams posted late rallies while senior catcher
Connor Bowman threw out an attempted base stealer in the bottom of the 10th to end the game.
The hosts jumped on top with single runs in the second and third innings, but the Jumbos rallied with a pair in the top of the fifth to tie the game. In the frame,
Patrick Solomon singled with one out, followed by a
Henry Fleckner single to set runners up at first and second. Fleischer would post an infield single, and a throwing error on the play allowed Solomon to come around to score. Evans would tie the game on a RBI groundout a batter later.
The Mammoths regained the lead with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Tufts came right back in the top of the eighth. Bowman singled in a run to pull Tufts to within two runs, and a bases loaded walk by
Ben Leonard made a 5-4 game. Two batters later, Fleckner launched a shot off the left-center wall to empty the bases and put Tufts on top 7-5.
In the bottom of the ninth, Amherst would keep the contest going with a pair of runs but
Liam Wilson came out of the bullpen with two outs to send the game to extra innings.
In the 10th, Solomon pushed around a run with a ground ball to score
Jackson Duffy, who led off the inning with a walk. In the bottom half, Amherst got a leadoff single but Wilson got two fielders choices before Bowman erased a Mammoth base stealer to end the game.
Bowman was 2-for-5 with a RBI and run scored, while Fleckner finished 2-for-5 with three RBI. Solomon added two hits, and
Connor Davidson walked twice in the game for Tufts.
Silas Reed started and allowed four hits and two earned runs, and
Cameron Mayer struck out three in three innings, allowing two runs and five hits.
Wilson got the win for Tufts, surrendering one hit and one walk as he got the final four outs of the game for the Jumbos.
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The Jumbos (13-6) will head to UMass Boston Wednesday, April 12 at 6 p.m. to finish their five-game road trip with more non-conference action against the Beacons.
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