NEW LONDON, Conn. – The third-seeded Mitchell College baseball team overcame a two-run eighth inning deficit to surge past second-seeded Tufts University, 6-5, in the opening round NCAA Baseball Championship New London Regional on Friday afternoon at Alumni Field.
The Mariners improve to 32-8 overall, while the Jumbos drop to 31-10. The victory was the sixth ever for Mitchell in the Regional round of the NCAA tournament, and marks the first time the Mariners won an opening round game in the Regional round since beating Eastern Connecticut State 4-3 in the 2014 NCAA Baseball Championship Harwich Regional.
Junior shortstop Angel Galindez (Carolina, PR) paced the Mariners at the plate, finishing with two hits and three RBI, including a two-run single with two outs in the top of the eighth inning which tied the game at 5-5. Fellow junior Justin Adorno (New Britain, Conn.) went 2-3 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored, while senior Dougie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.) collected three hits, two of them doubles, and also drove in one run.
Ryan Solimine (Danbury, Conn.) got the start for the Mariners and turned in another strong performance, surrendering just two runs across five and two third innings of work, walking just one and striking out three. Senior Tyler Daly (Wallingford, Conn.) came out of the bullpen and earned his fourth victory of the season, tossing two and two third innings of shutout ball, allowing just one hit and one walk.
The Mariners jumped out to an early lead in the top half of the third inning after Justin Adorno led off with an infield single to the shortstop. Following a sacrifice bunt by freshman Thai-ler Sestokas (Danbury, Conn.), Galindez dropped an RBI single into shallow right field, scoring Adorno to make it a 1-0 ballgame.
Mitchell extended its advantage to 2-0 in the top of the fifth, when Dougie DelaCruz laced a two-out double to left field which scored Sestokas, however Bo Yawroski (Brooklyn, Conn.) was gunned down at the plate to end the inning. The double gave DelaCruz 204 RBI in his Mitchell career, 76 more than the player sitting in second place in program history (Kyle Hartenstein).
The Jumbos responded in the bottom of the fifth, pushing their first run across when Ben Leonard scampered home on a steal attempt by Patrick Solomon. Mitchell catcher Matt Falk (Enfield, Conn.) gunned Solomon down at second, but Tufts was able to trim the deficit to one run.
In the top of the sixth, Mitchell added to their lead, plating one on an RBI double by Adorno, but in the bottom of the inning Tufts centerfielder Henry Fleckner belted a solo home run to left-center, to make the score 3-2. Following Fleckner's homer, Jesse McCullough walked, Jimmy Evans lined out to left field, and Connor Bowman collected an infield single. Threatening with two runners on, Mitchell's Ryan Solimine then got Ben Leonard to pop up to left field for the second out of the inning. That would be the last out recorded by Solimine, as Kenny Heon (Montville, Conn.) entered in relief facing a no ball and two strike count and walked Connor Davidson to load the bases. With the bases full of Jumbos, Heon then got Patrick Solomon to ground out to second base, ending the threat.
Ozzie Fleischer began the bottom half of the frame with a single to right field and Connor Flavin was then hit by a pitch. After Fleckner moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt, Tufts tied the on an error by Galindez, the Mitchell shortstop. Jimmy Evans then ripped a two run double to right-center, giving the Jumbos their first lead of the game, 5-3.
With one away, Tyler Daly came out of the bullpen in relief of Heon and immediately got Connor Bowman to line out to first base for the second out of the inning. Ben Leonard immediately singled to right field, but Owen Robbins (East Lyme, Conn.) threw out Jimmy Evans at the plate to end the inning.
Back to back walks put the Mariners in a good position in the top of the eighth with runners on first and second with one away. Sestokes proceeded to ground out to first, advancing both runners, and Galindez followed with a two-run single to right field, knotting the score at 5-5.
After Daly retired the Jumbos in order in the bottom of inning number eight, the Mariner worked the bases loaded on a pair of walks and a single by Lelo Martinez (New London, Conn.). With two down, Tufts was forced to remove pitcher Brendan McFall due to injury, inserting Connor Podeszwa into a bases loaded situation. Podeszwa, who most recently pitched in the NESCAC Championship game, couldn't escape the jam, hitting Adorno to send the go-ahead run home. Daly was able to secure the victory for Mitchell, working around an error which put the leadoff man on, inducing a ground out to third base to end the ballgame.
Brendan McFall was changed with the loss for the Jumbos, throwing just two thirds of an inning, however the go-ahead run was charged to him. Jimmy Evans finished 1-4 with two RBI at the plate for Tufts, while Ben Leonard and Ozzie Fleischer each had multi-hit games, and Henry Fleckner tallied his third home run of the spring.
The Mariners now enter the winners bracket of the Regional round and are scheduled to face top-seeded Wheaton College (MA) on Saturday, May 20, at 12:00 pm. The Lyons routed fourth-seeded Husson University 11-3 earlier in the day. The Jumbos are scheduled to play the Eagles in an elimination game on Saturday, May 20, at 8:30 am at Alumni Field in New London.