WATERVILLE, ME (May 14, 2023) -- Sophomore hurler Connor Podeszwa twirled a gem in the 2023 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championship game, and the offense scored in each of the first seven innings in rolling to their conference-leading seventh all-time NESCAC title with a 12-1 win over Middlebury College in play from Coombs Field on the campus of Colby College.

It was the first title for the Jumbos since 2019, as Tufts earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the win. The Jumbos will find out where they will be playing Monday at noon with the NCAA.com Selection Show. Sunday was Tufts' 14th appearance in the NESCAC final, and the sixth time in the last seven tournament finals.

The Jumbos (31-9) wasted no time getting on the board in the bottom of the first, as Jimmy Evans doubled with two outs and quickly came around to score on a RBI single down the right field line from fellow senior Connor Bowman. Podeszwa retired the Panthers 1-2-3 in the next inning, and Tufts added two more in the bottom of the second as Connor Flavin doubled in two after Patrick Solomon and Ozzie Fleischer each singled earlier in the frame.

Tufts added two more runs in the bottom of the third, as Solomon ripped a two-run doubled to left-center field to up the Jumbos lead to 5-0. Jesse McCullough gave the Jumbos a six-run edge in the bottom of the fourth with a RBI double, and Tufts picked up two more in the bottom of the fifth to make it 8-0. All of the offense was plenty of run support for Podeszwa, who allowed just two hits through the first six frames.

The advantage for the Jumbos would swell up to 12-0 in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to a passed ball, bases loaded walk and wild pitch. The only thing in doubt at the end was if Podeszwa would get the complete-game shutout, and Middlebury (27-11) was able to push across a run in the top of the ninth to end the Tufts' starters day as Brendan McFall came on to get the final out to clinch the victory for Tufts.

Podeszwa earned his sixth win of the season as he went 8.2 innings on the mound, allowing five hits and one earned run while striking out seven. He allowed just one extra-base hit in the victory.

Offensively, Solomon was 4-for-4 with a double, triple, two RBI and two runs scored, while Ben Leonard continued his hot hitting with a 2-for-4 afternoon with a walk. Flavin finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs, adding two walks, and McCullough was on base four times with three walks, an RBI and two runs scored.

Evans was 1-for-1 with two walks and two runs scored, and Bowman drove in three runs as he finished 1-for-3. The Jumbos tallied 13 hits on the game, walking 10 times as well.

The NESCAC title was the first for head coach Paul Svagdis, as he took over the program in 2021 after playing for the Jumbos from 1990-93.