Box Score
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Dave Ryan allowed just three hits in eight innings
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BRUNSWICK, ME - Starting pitcher Oliver Van Zant struck out 13 batters to lift the Bowdoin College baseball team to a key 5-3 win over Tufts in the opener of an important three-game New England Small College Athletic Conference series on Friday at Pickard Field.
Van Zant, a junior, broke Bowdoin's career strikeout record with his 13-K performance that improved the Polar Bears to 19-14 (6-4 NESCAC) and brought Bowdoin within one win of a berth in the NESCAC Tournament. The Polar Bears can clinch a bid with one victory in tomorrow's doubleheader against Tufts that begins at noon at Pickard Field. The Jumbos fall to 20-9 (4-6 NESCAC) and need a sweep tomorrow to secure a post-season bid.
Bowdoin took a 1-0 lead in the first inning without recording a hit. John Lefeber walked, moved to second on a hit-by-pitch, advanced to third on a fielder's choice and came home on a Dan Findley sacrifice fly. The Polar Bears were stymied, however, by a stellar start from Tufts' Dave Ryan (Trumbull, CT), who held Bowdoin hitless until the fifth.
Meanwhile, the Jumbos took advantage of some Bowdoin miscues to record three unearned runs in the third. After a walk and a single, Tim Mitropoulos (Winchester, MA) came home on an error to tie the game. Eric Weikert (Avondale Estates, GA) plated Sam Sager (Cranston, RI) with a groundout to third that gave Tufts a 2-1 edge and Connor McDavitt (Holden, MA) came around to score on another Polar Bear error to give the Jumbos a 3-1 advantage.
Bowdoin responded in the fifth as Aaron Rosen and Buddy Shea walked to open the inning. Kyle LeBlanc beat out a bunt single, and the throw sailed wide to bring Rosen around to make it 3-2. Lefeber followed with a single to score Shea and, after a walk to Jordan Edgett, Tim McGarry scored LeBlanc on a groundout to give Bowdoin a 4-3 lead. Findley followed with a sacrifice fly to score Lefeber and give the hosts a 5-3 advantage.
Van Zant (5-1) took over from there, retiring the final 12 batters he faced, including back-to-back strikeouts to finish the eighth frame. He allowed just four hits and no earned runs while his 13 strikeouts are the fourth-most in a single game in school history and move him past Bernard Johnson '50 (187 strikeouts) and into first place on Bowdoin's career list with 189.
Tufts managed to load the bases with two outs against Bowdoin closer Ian Edwards in the ninth, but Edwards retired McDavitt on a called strike three to end the game.
Ryan (5-2) took the loss after allowing five runs on just three hits with six walks and five strikeouts.
Game box score
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