MIDDLEBURY, VT (May 4, 2025) -- The Tufts University baseball team rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning with three runs, but host Middlebury College responded with four in the bottom half to pull away in earning a 9-5 win in the third and deciding game in the New England Small College Athletic Conference opening round three-game series at Forbes Field.
The Jumbos fired out of the gates in the deciding game of the weekend, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first to take the early lead. Senior
Henry Fleckner singled to lead off the game, and classmate
Ben Leonard ripped a double to right-center field one batter later to plate Fleckner and give the Jumbos the lead. Two batters later,
Cooper Smith would plate Leonard with a groundout to make it 2-0 Jumbos.
Middlebury (23-11) wasted no time getting back into the game as the Panthers as Nathan Samii singled in a run with one out to bring around Kyle McCauslan to cut the Jumbos lead in half after one full.
The Panthers would even the game in the bottom of the third as Samii once again came through with a two-out RBI single to make it 2-2. Middlebury took its first lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring three runs including a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line by Ben Slaughter to make it 5-2.
Tufts wouldn't go away, showing some fight as it evened the game at five with three runs in the top half of the seventh. In the inning, Conner Brala and
AJ Lysko reached to lead off the inning, followed by a single up the middle by junior
Jesse McCullough. Fleckner would score a run two batters later with a sacrifice fly, and a bases loaded walk pushed in a run with two outs to make it 5-4. The Jumbos would knot the game on an error as McCullough scored to deadlock the contest at five.
The bottom half of the inning would see the Panthers pull away for good though, as the hosts scored four runs highlighted by a two-run shot from Slaughter to make it 7-5. Gus Parker also had a RBI single for Middlebury to extend the lead. The Jumbos would put two runners on in the top of the eighth, but wouldn't be able to push across any runs as the Panthers held on to advance to next weekend's four-team, double-elimination NESCAC Tournament at Bowdoin College.
Smith finished 2-for-5 on the day, driving in a run for the Jumbos, and McCullough was 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. Leonard finished his career with two walks and a 1-for-3 day, as the Jumbos connected for seven hits. Senior
Jacob Lapp went 4.2 innings in his starting role, allowing five runs on eight hits, fanning five panther hitters.
Jack McLaughlin struck out two in his 1.1 scoreless innings of relief, and
Michael O'Brien also worked 1.1 unblemished frames out of the bullpen.
Samii led all players with five hits, two runs and two RBI for the Panthers, and McCauslan was 2-for-4 with a RBI and run scored.
With the loss, the Jumbos see their season come to an end after going 16-20 on the campaign. The Jumbos qualified for the NESCAC Tournament for the seventh straight season in 2025, and look to build going into the second year under head coach
Bryan Stark.
--JUMBOS--
