Baseball Splits Doubleheader with Bates to Open Conference Season

MEDFORD, MA (March 28, 2025) - The Tufts University baseball team had to roll with the punches today, as they played in an unexpected doubleheader due to inclement weather against the Bates Bobcats on Friday afternoon. The Jumbos split the day with a loss in game one and a win in game two at Sol Gittleman.

Tufts (7-10, 1-1 NESCAC) faced an uphill battle after the Bobcats (2-10, 1-1 NESCAC) plated five runs in the top of the second inning. The Jumbos responded with a pair of their own in the bottom of the same frame, as Jesse McCullough singled through the right side to score Owen McKiernan. Ben Leonard came up and scored Connor Brala off of a sacrifice fly, but the inning was ended by some solid Bobcat pitching by starter John Tully. 

The Bobcats tacked on another run, as they took advantage of the windy conditions with another home run to left field. Jumbos starter Jacob Lapp settled in from there, pitching the entire seven inning game one with no further damage, but the offense was stuck in the mud. Lapp ended his day with a seven inning complete game and six strikeouts. Tully limited traffic on the base paths with great control, and some tough luck from the Jumbos. Tufts hitters were making contact, but none of it was to open spots on the field as they grounded out five times and flew out six times. 

The Jumbos were unable to complete the comeback in game one, dropping it by a score of 6-3. 

They reset within the hour, and began game two with a clean slate and 27 outs to make. Tufts starter Silas Reed allowed a solo shot in the top of the first, but the Jumbos offense responded by digging in and getting runners on base. It took till the third, but they found the equalizer through some heads up baserunning. McCullough knocked a double off the wall in right-center before advancing to third on a wild pitch. He took home after Leonard poked a groundball back to the left side of the mound. Bates starter Diego Sarabia fielded the ball, but McCullough was already well on his way to home, diving in to score. Leonard earned the RBI for his second of the day on the ground out. 

An inning later, Tufts had their first lead of the day. James Henshon reached first after working a walk to leadoff the inning, stole second, and reached third after the throw wound up in the outfield. Nick Banner poked a single into right field to drive in Henshon, and the Jumbos led 2-1.

Reed was dealing on the mound, mowing down the Bobcats after the hiccup in the first. The graduate student racked up 13 strikeouts by the end of the game, bumping him up to third on the program career strikeouts list all-time. It was his second complete game of the season and the first one that lasted nine innings.

Banner added insurance in the sixth as he drove in Cooper Smith with another single to right field. Tufts was in control 3-1, and Reed secured the win with a nearly-spotless ninth, with a walk being the only blemish to an otherwise clean inning. 

Tufts will look to clinch the series in tomorrow's finale at 12:00 pm versus Bates at Sol Gittleman Park.