MEDFORD, MA (April 13, 2024) - The Tufts University men's baseball team closed out a three-game series with a doubleheader Saturday in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) action against Colby College who is receiving votes in the Division III baseball national pole.
Game 1: Jumbos 5 Mules 8:
The Jumbos (13-10) gave the ball to start game one of the double headers to reigning NESCAC pitcher of the week senior Silas Reed. Reed went 5.2 innings in the seven-inning game. Reed struck out four batters walking 3 and giving up four earned runs. The Mules jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
The Jumbos would respond in the bottom half of the second inning as senior shortstop Ozzie Fleischer dropped a bunt down to score sophomore Malcolm Whitfield. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Jumbos scored four runs in the inning to take a 5-1 lead. The inning is highlighted by an RBI infield single from junior Ben Leonard that scored Whitfield, first-year Malachi Pena later in the inning brought home two runs on a single to right field that scored junior Henry Fleckner and sophomore Jesse McCullough.
The Mules would get a run back in the top of the fifth inning as Cole Palmeri hit a solo shot to left field to make the score 5-2. The Mules went on to tie the game in the top of the sixth as Ryan Grace would bring home the tying run on a two-run RBI double. The Mules took the lead in the very next inning, as Carson Frame hit an RBI single to right field to give the Mules a 6-5 lead. The Mules also added two more insurance in the seventh to go ahead 8-5.
Fleckner had six putouts in the game and scored a run, Whitfield went 2-2 scoring two runs, McCullough was 2-3 in the first game, and grad student Connor Flavin hit a double and scored a run. They recorded nine hits in the game.
Game 2: Jumbos 4 Mules 11:
The Jumbos would give the ball to grad student Gavin Brown in the final game of the day. Brown pitched five innings striking out seven batters as he threw 109 pitches on the day. The Mules would get on the board early as they scored three runs on Brown in the top of the first to take a 3-0 lead. The Mules would add a run in the top of the third on a home run by Noah Reichman, the visitors also added a run in the top of the fifth to take a 5-0 lead.
Senior Liam Wilson was called upon to come into relief in the top of the sixth as he pitched an inning of work recording a strikeout and got out of a bases-loaded jam inducing an inning-ending double play.
The Mules would add two more runs in the top of the seventh to extend their lead to 7-0. The Jumbos would answer in the bottom of the seventh with four runs to make it a 7-4 game, the inning was highlighted by a single from Whitfield that scored Flavin and an RBI single from Fleischer that scored first-year Ian Robertson who singled earlier in the inning.
The Mules answered right back in the top of the eighth with four runs of their own to make the score 11-4 and were able to secure the win over the Jumbos. Solomon went 2-3 in the second game scoring a run as the Jumbos recorded seven hits in the nightcap.
Up next the Jumbos will travel to Bowdoin for more NESCAC action tomorrow April 14, to make up the game that was canceled due to weather on March 28, The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 P.M.
