MEDFORD, MA (March 8, 2025) - The Tufts University baseball team split a hard-fought and grueling double header in gusty conditions at Sol Gittleman Park as they hosted Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday afternoon.
The Jumbos (2-1, 0-0 NESCAC) started with graduate student
Silas Reed on the mound, who faced adversity early on as the first Warrior (3-2, 0-0 LEC) he faced drove a triple off the wall in right center. An unfortunate dropped third strike led to the runner scoring an unearned run. A two-out home run scored another pair of unearned runs to give Eastern Connecticut an early 3-0 lead. Tufts responded well though, as senior
Ben Leonard doubled to deep left field and tagged up to advance on a
Henry Fleckner fly-out. First year
James Henshon brought him in with a base hit up the middle to put the first dent in the Warriors lead.
The Warriors tacked on another run after a wild pitch from Reed escaped graduate student catcher
Connor Brala in the top of the second. Tufts' response was to put up five runs in a single inning. The offensive explosion began with a Brala double, who was driven in by a Leonard RBI double.
Ozzie Fleischer also came around to score after reaching on an error and advancing on a
Jesse McCullough walk. Henshon added another RBI to his name following a ground out to third as McCullough hustled home to score the tying run. The next man up, Caleb Smith drove the ball to the deep left field for a double off the wall, scoring two runs and putting the Jumbos up 6-4.
Reed tied together a 1-2-3 inning in the third before the 2023 NCAA Division III Champions Eastern Connecticut responded in the fourth. A double, walk and error loaded the bases, which then saw Reed allow a bases-clearing double, ending his day with a final line of 3.2 innings pitched with five hits allowed for an earned run and six more unearned, but with eight strike outs to keep the Jumbos alive in the game. Junior
Cole Donato came on in relief and escaped the inning without further damage, but the Jumbos still trailed 7-6.
The Jumbos didn't wait long to punch back, as they tacked on two in the bottom of the same inning to go up 8-7, thanks to junior
Owen McKiernan's two-RBI double. Donato held the Warriors at bay with a 1-2-3 fifth, before the Jumbos added another run after Leonard reached on a double and was driven in via a Henshon base hit. The Warriors tied it in the sixth after an RBI base hit and sacrifice fly made it 9-9. The Jumbos responded with a pair of runs once again, as Fleischer hit a sacrifice fly to score
Max Pavlik and McKiernan scored on an error.
Eastern Connecticut demonstrated their pedigree as they put up four in the seventh inning to take the lead 13-11, highlighted by a solo shot off the bat of Preston Cosme-Cruz. The score line held from there until the Jumbos came up for their last at bats in the bottom of the ninth. Leonard doubled to leadoff, making it a 5-5 day for him. The next two batters failed to reach, giving the Jumbos very little breathing room.
Cooper Smith stepped up with a base hit to score Leonard, and Pavlik followed him with an RBI double to tie the game at 13-13.
The extra innings were highlighted by a valiant pitching performance from
Derek Desmarais, who posted two full innings of scoreless ball. The first year was nails as he finished the eleventh with a routine flyout to left to complete the 1-2-3 inning.
The bottom of the eleventh saw Tufts get right to work as Smith reached with a base hit,
Ian Robertson advanced him with a hit of his own and pinch hitter
Caden Abraham drove him in with a hit to right center to secure the win in the grueling three hours fifty seven minutes affair.
Game two saw the Jumbos struggle at the plate, while the Warriors found their power swings. Eastern Connecticut scored eight runs while Tufts managed only one thanks to a Leonard solo homer. Tufts pitching managed to strike out five Warriors in game two, but their efforts were not enough as the Connecticut side managed three extra base hits to the Jumbos one. The windy weather did not help the matter, as each side was noticeably worn down by hour six on the field. Tufts picked up a stolen base and added seven hits in the 8-1 loss for game two.
Tufts will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as the host Wheaton College (Mass.) for the Somerville Youth Game at 1:00 pm at Sol Gittleman.
--JUMBOS--
