MEDFORD, MA (March 9, 2024) - The Tufts University men's baseball team played its first double-header action of the 2024 season against Eastern Connecticut State University today at Sol Gittleman Park on the campus of Tufts University.
Game 1: ECSU 5, Tufts 2
Junior Connor Podeszwa was given the starting nod for the first game. He went 5 innings giving up 4 earned runs and striking out five. In the top of the first inning, Podeszwa went 1-2-3 striking out one. In the bottom of the first inning, the Jumbos left the bases loaded but sophomore Malcolm Whitfield recorded the first hit of the day with a leadoff bloop single to right field.
In the top of the second, the Warriors led off with a double by Ryan Parent to centerfield, Parent would eventually come around to score on a base hit to left center field by Jared Clark. The Jumbos ended the top of the inning with a 4-6-3 double play.
In the top of the third, the Jumbos would find themselves down three runs as Ray Leonzi hit a two-run home run to right field. The Warriors would add another two-run homer in the top of the fifth to get their fifth run of the day.
Sophomore Cole Donato who missed last season due to Tommy John surgery came into relief for the first time in his career as a Jumbo, he slowed down the Warrior's offense. He pitched the last four innings for the Jumbos going scoreless, striking out four batters, and walking two.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Jumbos would add two runs in the inning. Sophomore Jesse McCullough led off with a single to left then reached second base on a wild pitch. Senior Ozzie Fleischer would drive McCullough home with a double down the right-field line to make the score 5-2. The Jumbos got their second run on a sac fly to center, Fleischer would tag from third and score.
The Warriors ended the game with a 1-2-3 inning. Starting pitcher Matthew Wooten was given the win and Podeszwa got the loss. The Jumbos recorded six hits in the game.
Game 2: Tufts 5, CSCU 1
In game two, the Jumbos gave the ball to Senior Gavin Brown getting his first start of the year. Brown finished the Warriors in order, recording a strikeout in the top of the first. Junior Henry Fleckner would lead off the Jumbos in game two, in his first at-bat of the game he worked a walk and then stole second. He would eventually advance to third on a wild pitch. Fleckner reached home on a sacrifice fly to right field from first-year Malachi Pena to give the Jumbos the early lead.
Brown finished a scoreless second inning retiring three more batters and adding his second strikeout of the day. In the bottom half of the inning, the Jumbos kept their offense going as first-year catcher Tyler Wong hit his first career single to reach base. Senior Connor Flavin advanced Wong to third on a single to right center then senior Patrick Solomon reached base after laying down a bunt to move Flavin to second and scoring Wong to bring their lead to 2-0. Later in the inning, Fleckner hit a double down the right-field line to score Flavin and bring the Jumbos' lead to three.
Brown would add a strikeout in the top of the third then retire the Warriors in order in the top of the fourth inning. In the bottom of the inning senior Connor Brala hit a deep ball into left field, the ball easily made it over the fence as it was hit 401 feet to give Brala his first career homer and add to the Jumbos lead.
In the top of the fifth, the Warrior's Lucas Malave forced a walk to bring in a run to cut their deficit to three. The eventual game-winning pitcher junior Jacob Lapp came into relief in the top of the fifth. Brown finished the day pitching 4.2 innings, striking out four and giving up a run.
In the top of the sixth Lapp forced a 1-2-3 inning, then in the top of the seventh he worked out of trouble leaving two Warriors on base to end the inning.
The Jumbos got their fifth run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by Owen McKiernan that scored Fleischer from third.
In the top of the ninth senior Robert Gray would pitch in a non-save situation. Grey struck out the last two batters he faced to give the Jumbos a 5-1 win.
The Jumbos recorded eight hits in the game.
The Jumbos (2-1) will return to action on Tuesday, March 12, as they will take on Johnson & Wales University at home, at Sol Gittleman Park. The first pitch will be at 3 p.m.
