BRUNSWICK, ME (March 30, 2024) - The Tufts University men's baseball team opened New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play Saturday with a doubleheader against Bowdoin College. The first game of the doubleheader was played in seven innings and the second game was played in nine.
Game 1: Jumbos 7 Polar Bears 2:
The Jumbos (9-7) gave the ball in game one to junior Connor Podeszwa. Podeszwa finished the game pitching 4.1 innings striking out six batters on the day giving up two runs on six hits. The Jumbos got on the board first as sophomore Malcolm Whitfield grounded into a fielder choice to third that scored sophomore Owen McKiernan to give the Jumbos the 1-0 lead. The Jumbos would score again in the top of the fifth inning thanks to first-year Malachi Pena roping an RBI double to left field that scored sophomore Jesse McCullough to give the Jumbos a 2-0 lead. The Polar Bears would answer right back in the bottom half of the fifth scoring two runs to even the game at 2.
Junior Jacob Lapp came into the game in the fourth inning and shut down the Polar Bears as he had strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work not allowing a run or a walk, Lapp received the win in the game as he extended his record on the year to 4-2.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Jumbos exploded for four runs. Grad student Connor Flavin hit a lead-off infield single to start the inning, then Flavin stole second and was moved to third by senior Patrick Solomon who dropped down a bunt down and successfully advanced to first. Whitfield the next batter would extend the Jumbos lead to 3 runs as he hit a 3-run homer to left. The Jumbos would add one more run in the inning as McCullough hit an RBI sac fly to center field that scored junior Ben Leonard to give the Jumbos a 6-2 lead.
The Jumbos would add their final run in the top of the seventh and Lapp finished the job in the bottom of the seventh to give them a 7-2 victory.
The Jumbos recorded 11 hits in the game, recording three extra-base hits and stealing two bases. Solomon and Pena finished the game going 2-3, both recording doubles.
Game 2: Jumbos 9 Polar Bears 2:
In the second game of the day the Jumbos gave the ball to Senior ace Silas Reed. Reed pitched six innings striking out six batters and walking one. The Jumbos bats were alive throughout the game as they recorded 18 hits. In the top of the third inning, they scored four runs to take a 4-0 lead. The inning was highlighted by a McCullough two-run single that scored Leonard and senior Ozzie Fleischer.
The Jumbos would add two more runs in the fourth as Whitfield led off the inning with a leadoff triple to center then Fleischer would bring him home on a hard-hit single up the middle to give the Jumbos a 5-0 lead. The Jumbos got their second run of the inning as McCullough would bring home Fleischer on an RBI single to left center.
The Polar Bears added two runs in the bottom of the fifth to bring their deficit to four. In the top of the seventh, the Jumbos added two more runs thanks to a McKiernan RBI single to left that scored junior Henry Fleckner and a Solomon RBI single that brought home McKiernan and advanced the Jumbos lead to 8-2.
Grad student Gavin Brown would relieve Reed in the bottom of the seventh. Brown struck out three in three innings of work, not allowing a run. The Jumbos would get their last run of the game in the top of the eighth on a solo shot by Fleckner.
Fleckner went 4-5 in the game and McCullough went 3-5. The Jumbos stole three bases in the game including McKiernan stealing two. Reed was given the win for the Jumbos as he extended his record to 2-1 on the year.
Up next for the Jumbos they will face off against Wheaton College on Monday, April 1, at home on the field of Sol Gittleman Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 P.M. The Jumbos and Polar Bears will make up the game that got rained out yesterday April 14.
-JUMBOS-
