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Box Score 2 MEDFORD – Junior shortstop Nate Bozzella finished the day with seven rbis, and junior pitcher Michael Volgende had another strong start as the Tufts University baseball team swept a NESCAC East double-header from Colby College on Saturday at Huskins Field. The scores of the two seven-inning games were 15-4 and 9-6.
Bozzella and Connor Bowman both had five rbis in game one to lead the Jumbos (5-1, 2-0 NESCAC East). Bozzella broke a scoreless tie with a three-run homer to left in the third when Tufts scored four times in the inning overall. After a sac-fly by Bowman made it 5-0 Jumbos in the fourth, Tufts scored four more in the fifth and then six in the sixth frame to take a commanding 15-1 lead.
Bases-loaded walks earned by Jackson Duffy and Brendan Bay joined with a two-run single by Bowman in the fifth. Two-run singles by Bay and Bowman again in the sixth and a two-run double by Bozzella gave the Jumbos their huge lead. Tufts had five straight hits with two outs in the sixth and scored all of their six runs in the inning with two outs.
Colby pinch hitter Dylan Nastri homered on the first pitch of the seventh. The Mules (6-6, 0-2 NESCAC East) scored twice more in the inning including an rbi double by Jonah Katz.
Volgende was excellent for the second straight start for Tufts, finishing six innings allowing six hits and one run. Bowman was 2 for 3 with his five rbis and two runs, while Bozzella went 2 for 4 with the five rbis and a run. Bay was also productive at 2 for 3 with three rbis and a run.
Andrew Russell and Marcus Forrester both had two game-one hits for Colby. Jack Pletter took the pitching loss.
Colby would strike first in the second game when Nastri led off the second with a walk, stole second and scored on a single by Forrester. Tufts answered with three runs in the bottom of the second, two on a double by Kyle Cortese making it 3-1 Jumbos. The early scoring continued as Colby tied it 3-3 in their third on an rbi double from Russell and Nastri's sac fly.
Tufts broke it open with a six-run third, which featured an early two-run home run by Duffy and later an rbi double from Bozzella. They sent 12 men to the plate in the inning and led 9-3.
The Mules would make it interesting in the sixth. After two were out, a run-scoring single by Patrick McConnell and two-run base hit from Cabot Maher brought the visitors within 9-6. They had the bases loaded, but Tufts reliever Spencer Langdon got a strikeout to quell the rally.
Duffy went 2 for 3 with two rbis and two runs for Tufts in game two. Cortese finished with three rbis. Langdon picked up a save getting four outs and allowing one hit.
Maher and Russell both recorded two hits for Colby in the nightcap. Nicholas Thompson took the pitching loss, while Patrick Carbone and McConnell were good in relief.
