aMEDFORD, MA (April 19, 2024) -- The Tufts University men's baseball team opened their last New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) East Division series Friday night at Sol Gittleman Park against Trinity College.
The Jumbos (14-14) gave the ball to Senior ace Silas Reed who pitched outstanding today. Reed had six strikeouts over eight innings throwing 125 pitches in his outing, walking four batters on four runs earned. In the bottom of the first inning, the Jumbos got on the board early as junior Henry Fleckner scored on a sac fly by sophomore Jesse McCullough to put the Jumbos up 1-0. The next batter first-year Malachi Pena then sent a long ball to right center to put the Jumbos up 2-0, for Pena it was his fourth homer on the season which is tied for first on the team.
In the bottom of the second inning, sophomore Malcolm Whitfield hit a no-doubter out to right center to lead off the inning and put the Jumbos ahead 3-0. The long ball for Whitfield is his fourth of the season and is tied for first with Pena.
The Jumbos did not slow down in the bottom of the third inning as they added another three runs in the inning. Pena got to second on a one-out double down the right field then stole third. Pena eventually scored thanks to an RBI single to left from first-year AJ Lysko to make the score 4-0. Grad student Connor Flavin would bring home the second run of the inning on an RBI double down the right field line that scored junior Cooper Smith to extend the Jumbos lead to 5-0. Whitfield brought home Flavin on an RBI single to right to give the Jumbos their sixth run of the game.
The Bantams answered the Jumbos in the top of the fourth with three runs of their own on a three-run home run by Jack Ryan to right field.
After the home run, Reed pitched the next four innings scoreless allowing two hits and striking out three in the four-inning frame. In the top of the ninth with the Jumbos up 6-3, they brought Reed back out to close out the game. Reed quickly worked into trouble, so the Jumbos brought in senior closer Robert Gray. Gray induced a no-out bases-loaded double play that scored one runner but put the Jumbos in a great position to close out the game. Gray struck out the next batter to secure the save and a Jumbos 6-4 win.
Reed received the win to advance his record to 4-1 on the season, and the save for Gray marks his third. The Jumbos had 13 hits on the day as Pena, Whitfield, and Smith went 2-4, and Lysko went 2-3. The Jumbos swiped three bases on the day as well. Senior Ozzie Fleischer had five defensive assists and two putouts in the field today.
Next for the Jumbos, they will continue their three-game series against Trinity tomorrow in a twin bill. The first game will start at 12 P.M, followed by the nightcap.
-JUMBOS-
