MEDFORD, MA (April 25, 2026) -- The No. 24 Tufts University clinched the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) East top seed in next week's conference tournament Saturday, celebrating Senior Day with a split against Trinity College on Sol Gittleman Park. The Jumbos earned a 3-1 win in game one before falling 14-5 in the series finale.
Game 1: Tufts 3, Trinity 1
The Jumbos officially clinched the No. 1 seed from the East Division in the NESCAC Tournament with the game one victory, scoring a run in the fourth, fifth and sixth while shaking off a late rally from Trinity to earn the win.
Tufts got great pitching all game, as sophomore
Emmet Christian was able to wriggle out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the second to keep the game scoreless. Tufts had a chance to get on the board in the bottom of the third, but couldn't come up with a big hit with the bases loaded as the Jumbos left three stranded.
The Jumbos got on the board in the fourth inning, as
Jesse McCullough doubled to right center to bring around
Caden Abraham after he walked with two outs.
In the bottom of the fifth Tufts got another big hit, as senior
Owen McKiernan doubled to bring around
Jack Kamin after his lead-off single to make it 2-0.
Trinity threatened in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with two outs but Derek Demarais was able to induce a foul out to lead the bases full. In the bottom half, Tufts added another important insurance run as McCullough brought in
Cole Bohane with a sacrifice fly.
In the seventh, Trinity tried to rally with two outs as Aidan Stern doubled in a run to make it 3-1 but Desmarais got a popout to end the game to secure the win.
Tate Bannish was 2-for-2 with a walk for Tufts, while McCullough was also 2-for-2 with two runs batted in. Christian got the win, allowing just four hits while fanning nine Bantam hitters over 5.2 innings of work. Desmarais earned his seventh save with 1.1 innings of effective relief, walking two and striking out one while giving up two hits and one run.
Trinity's Tyler Bernstein, Stern and Andrew Park each had two hits apiece.
Game 2: Trinity 14, Tufts 5
Tufts took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run shot by Kamin, but Trinity plated one in the second and eight in the fifth to open up the game in rolling to the big win.
Tufts led 2-1 going into the fifth inning, but the Bantams (23-10, 8-4 NESCAC) sent 12 batters to the plate in the frame while posting nine hits to take a 9-2 lead. Trinity tacked on two more in the sixth, one in the eighth and two more in the ninth for plenty of breathing room.
Sophomore
James Henshon was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a triple in game two, while Kamin also was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Junior
AJ Lysko was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
The Bantams were led by Dylan Schnitzer, who went 4-for-5 with two RBI while William Sawyer was also 3-for-5 with two RBI, two runs and a double. Timmy Domizio also homered in a 2-for-5 game two.
Despite the loss, Tufts (24-9, 8-4 NESCAC) will take on Hamilton College in the NESCAC Quarterfinals for a Best of 3 series, starting Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. on Sol Gittleman Park.
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Tufts finishes the regular season Wednesday at 3:30 PM at home, taking on WPI in non-conference play.
--JUMBOS--
