Medford, Mass. - Junior Scott Huley (Greenwich, Conn.) tripled and scored unearned in the top of the ninth inning for the game-winning run to lead the visiting Trinity College Bantams to an 8-7 victory over the Tufts University Jumbos in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) East Division baseball action this afternoon on Huskins Field. Trinity, which lost the second game, 3-2, after handing Tufts its first loss since a March 21 loss to Lynchburg during spring break, is now 9-14 overall and 3-6 in the NESCAC East, while the No. 18-ranked Jumbos are 19-2 overall and 3-1 in the division.
Game one was scheduled for seven innings, but ended up going nine when Tufts senior catcher Nick Cutsumpas hit a two-out, two strike, two-run home run to tie the score at 7-7 in the bottom of the seventh. In the top of the ninth, Huley got his three-bagger to right center with two outs and then scored on a Tufts error. Cutsumpas had a one-out single to keep Tufts alive in the bottom of the ninth, but Bantam senior captain David O'Brien (Fairfield, Conn.) earned the save by getting a fielder's choice ground out to end it.
Tufts had led 3-0 after a three-run third, highlighted by a two-run single down the left field line by sophomore shortstop Matt Moser. After scoring once in the fifth, Trinity opened up a 7-3 lead with six in the top of the sixth. A pair of pinch hitters keyed the inning, as rookie Ricky Spencer (Madison, Conn.) singled home a run and scored and first-year Colton Dana (Marbleheadm, Mass.) had a two-run single. Junior 1B Brian Wolfe (La Habra Heights, Calif.) also had an RBI single in the inning. Moser led off with a home run in the sixth and junior CF Connor McDavitt reached by fielder's choice and eventually scored on a balk to bring Tufts within 7-5 leading up to Cutsumpas' home run.
The Bantams had 11 hits in the game, including two apiece by sophomore 2B Matt Mortimer (Spencer, Mass.), Huley and sophomore catcher Scott Cullinane (East Greenwich, R.I.). Sophomore LF Mackenze Genauer (Montclair, N.J.) and Huley both scored twice. Sophomore Jed Robinson (Winchester, Mass.) earned the win with 1.1 innings of two-hit, no-run relief. Cutsumpas finished 3 for 5 with two rbis and a run, Moser went 2 for 5 with three RBI and a run and McDavitt was 2 for 5 with a run. Junior Tom Ryan took the loss in relief, allowing four hits and two runs (one earned) with three K's and a walk in four innings.
In the seven-inning second game, Hauser's two RBI staked Tufts to a 2-0 advantage early. His ground out in the first scored McDavitt, who had doubled to lead off. He then singled in the second to score senior 2B Tim Mitropoulos, who had a one-out base hit. Trinity tied the game with runs in the second and fifth. Freshman Ryan Reuther (Wilton, Conn.) tripled with one out in the second and scored on a fielder's choice by junior SS Adam Moossmann (East Northport, N.Y.). Genauer's lead-off walk in the fifth led to an RBI single from Huley. Jumbo senior DH Max Freccia led off the bottom of the fifth with a single, was sacrificed to second and came around on a rbi single by junior 1B James Howard for a 3-2 Tufts lead. Freshman Speros Varinos and Moser combined for 2.1 innings of one-hit, no-run relief for Tufts. Varinos got the win to move to 2-0 and Moser earned his second save. McDavitt was 2 for 3 with a run atop the Tufts order and Freccia finished 2 for 2. Senior captain starter Ryan Carr (Cos Cob, Conn.) took the loss for Trinity, going 5.1 innings allowing eight hits and three runs. Bantam junior 3B Daniel Pidgeon (Darien, Conn.) finished 2 for 2.