Box Score
MEDFORD - Tufts sophomore pitcher Kyle Slinger (Danville, CA) went 6.2 strong innings in the Jumbos' game-one victory, but Bates junior Kevin Davis (Andover, MA) keyed a game-two win by the Bobcats with a two-run double as the NESCAC East foes split a baseball double-header on Saturday at Huskins Field.
Tufts won the first game 5-1. Bates took the nightcap 5-3. The split gave visiting Bates the weekend series two games to one following Friday's 3-0 win. The Bobcats are now 7-5 overall and 2-1 in the NESCAC East. The Jumbos dropped to 8-7 and 1-2 in the division.
Slinger went 6.2 innings allowing four hits and one run with four strikeouts in the first game. He came one out shy of a complete game while improving to 2-1.
Tufts took the lead in the third after two were out. Senior SS Scott Staniewicz (Boca Raton, FL) doubled and scored when sophomore CF Connor McDavitt (Holden, MA) followed with a triple. The Jumbos would add three unearned runs on just one hit in the fifth to lead 4-0. Their fifth run came in the sixth inning courtesy of a two-out double by sophomore 3B Wade Hauser (Palo Alto, CA), scoring sophomore catcher Bryan Egan (Watervliet, NY), who had singled.
Bates had just one runner reach second base through six innings, but junior RF Steve Burke (Bedford, NH) doubled off Slinger with two outs in the seventh. Sophomore DH Rockwell Jackson (Fort Worth, TX) followed with a walk and Tufts went to the bullpen. A single by senior SS Ryan Sonberg (Windsor, CT) brought in the lone Bates run.
Hauser was 2 for 3 with a run and an rbi for the Jumbos in game one. Staniewicz scored twice.
Junior 2B Griff Tewksbury (Concord, NH) had two of Bates' six hits in the first game. Bobcats starter Brad Reynolds (Lafayette, CO) and reliever Chris Ward (Pasadena, CA) allowed just five hits, but Bates committed three errors. Reynolds was charged with just one earned run while allowing three hits in five innings for the loss.
Bates took a 4-0 lead with the help of Davis' two-run double in the second inning of game two. Sonberg also had an rbi double in the second inning after hitting a single and eventually scoring on a ground out by freshman 3B Sam Berry (South Hamilton, MA) in the first.
Tufts got one back in the bottom of the second when senior 1B Eric Weikert (Avondale Estates, GA) was hit by a pitch and scored on a a single by freshman DH Mike Barry (Sudbury, MA).
The game took a dramatic swing on two pitches as the sixth turned to the seventh. With the bases loaded, Staniewicz was robbed of extra bases on a superb catch by Bates sophomore LF Nate Pajka (Douglas, MA) in the bottom of the sixth. Then on the first pitch of the top of the seventh, Bobcat sophomore catcher Mekae Hyde (Lewiston, ME) homered to put the Bobcats up 5-1.
However, the Jumbos rallied in the ninth, putting the tying run on base. They closed to within 5-3 on a two-run double to the opposite field by Hauser. With the bases loaded and one out, Bates called freshman Sam Warren (Norfolk, VA) out of center field to pitch. He induced two fly outs to right for a clutch save.
Davis finished game two 2 for 4 with two rbi and a run for Bates. Sonberg and Hyde were both 2 for 4 with a run and an rbi. Starter Dean Bonneau (Amherst, MA) earned his first win with five innings of two-hit, one-run pitching. He struck out six. Freshman Connor Colombo (Mendon, MA) pitched two innings of one-hit, no-run relief.
Hauser finished 2 for 5 with two rbi for Tufts. Barry was 2 for 4 with the rbi. Junior pitcher Dean Lambert (Cross River, NY) had an outstanding seven-inning relief stint, giving up four hits and a run while striking out seven.
Tufts plays next at Brandeis on Tuesday starting at 3 pm. The Bobcats are off until hosting Endicott on Thursday at 3:30 pm.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
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