Box Score Recap courtesy of Wesleyan University
NASHUA, NH - Bates College built an 8-0 lead after two innings, then held on for an 8-7 win over Tufts University in the first elimination game of the NESCAC baseball tournament here today at Holman Stadium.
Bates (17-19) advances to play the loser of the Wesleyan-Amherst matchup as the winners from opening day Friday. The winner of the Wesleyan-Amherst game is off until Sunday when it plays the surviver of the third game Saturday for the title.
Tufts (26-10) had its NESCAC playoff come to an end and will see if an NCAA bid comes its way late Sunday night.
Bates got off to a brilliant start in its fourth game of the year versus Tufts, having lost two of the previous three. While junior Samuel Warren gave the Bobcats a 1-0 lead with a leadoff homer to right-center field, it was a seven-run second inning that provided Bates with a comfortable early cushion. Sending 12 men to the plate, the Bobcats collected seven hits including a three-run homer from senior Sam Berry, his sixth of the season, to cap the inning. Senior Rockwell Jackson and junior Conor Reenstierna opened the stanza with back-to-back doubles to right center, making it 2-0. A walk to senior Mekae Hyde and a single by senior Alex Parker loaded the bases. A grounder to second base by sophomore Brendan Fox plated Reenstierna, and singles by sophomore Ryan McCarthy and senior Nate Pajka were both good for an RBI, making it 5-0, before Berry unloaded to push the gap to eight runs.
In the meantime, Bates starter freshman Connor Speed breezed through the first four inning without allowing a Jumbo hit while striking out six. Junior Cody McCallum broke up the no-hitter with one out in the fifth inning with a hustle double to right center and then scored the initial Jumbo run on a ground single to right field by senior James Howard. Speed tossed 117 pitches over 7.0 innings, giving up just the two hits and one run with eight strikeouts and 3 walks to up his record to 2-4 on the year. His other win came in a key victory over Trinity a week ago when he logged a complete game in a 3-2 win over the Bantams that helped put the Bobcats in the NESCAC tournament.
Tufts sent junior ace Andrew David to the mound to begin the game, bringing in a 6-0 record with a 2.32 ERA but he lasted just 1.2 innings, allowing seven runs on six hits as he absorbed his first loss.
Tufts' offense came to life in the eighth inning after Speed was pulled from the game. Three Bates relievers were touched for six runs as Tufts also had a 12-hitter frame with four hits, four walks and a hit batter. Walks to senior Bryan Egan and freshman Christian Zazzali both came with the bases loaded, making it an 8-3 game. Up came freshman Dan Kelly for his first varsity at-bat and he smacked a two-run ground-rule double to right, cutting the margin to 8-5. McCallum added an RBI single for an 8-6 score and Howard added the seventh Tufts run with a sacrifice fly for the RBI.
Bates senior pitcher Sam Maliski gave up the double to Kelly, single to McCallum, got the fly out from Howard, gave up another infield single as Tufts had the bases loaded once again. Still he got the final out via strikeout to end the Jumbos' rally.
Junior Rob DiFranco came in to throw the ninth inning for the Bobcats and closed the door for his second save of the year, getting a come-backer for out number one, then two strikeouts to end the game.
The Jumbos will hope to earn an at large berth into the NCAA Championship.
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