MEDFORD, MA (May 3, 2023) -- The visiting No. 5 Gulls of Endicott College hit four home runs Wednesday afternoon, handing the No. 23 Tufts University baseball team its first loss at Sol Gittleman Park with a score of 14-1 in non-conference play.
The No. 5 Gulls (32-5) scored in all but two innings on the day, while holding the host Jumbos to five hits thanks to a strong start from starter Jordan Gottesman. Endicott tallied a single run in the first three innings to lead 3-0 going to the fourth inning, and John Mulready lifted a two-run shot to right field to make it 5-0 after four innings. Tufts would get a run back in the bottom of the fifth, as
Ben Leonard hammered a double off the right field wall, stole third and scored on a throwing error by the catcher to make it 5-1.
Endicott came right back with three runs in the top of the sixth, highlighted by a two-run homer by Robbie Wladkowski to make it 8-1. Wladkowski homered again in the eighth inning, as the Gulls won their ninth straight of the season.
The Jumbos, who were ranked for the first time this season at No. 23 on Tuesday by Collegiate Baseball and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), only posted five hits but three were for extra bases.
Jackson Duffy came on to double in his only at-bat, while
Ozzie Fleischer shot a double down the left-field line in the sixth inning.
Jesse McCullough and
Connor Brala also each had hits for the Jumbos on the day.
Tufts used nine pitchers, as
Jack McLaughlin,
Connor Podeszwa and
Matt Donato all worked an inning of scoreless relief. Donato and McLaughlin each struck out two, as Jumbo pitchers fanned 11 batters in all.
Gottesman got the win for the Gulls, his first of the season, as he worked seven innings allowing three hits and fanning six. Danny MacDougal was 4-for-4 with three doubles, four runs and two RBI, while Wladkowski finished 2-for-6 with three RBI. Mulready was also 2-for-5 with four RBI for Endicott, which finished with 18 hits on the day.
Tufts finishes the regular season 26-8, and will host Amherst College this weekend in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Quarterfinal Best of Three Round on Gittleman Park Saturday at noon. Tufts and Amherst will play twice Saturday, while an if necessary Game 3 would be Sunday at 11 am in Medford.
--JUMBOS--
