Medford, MA --- In the final regular season non-conference contest for both teams, host Tufts defeated WPI 13-2 in a non-conference baseball matchup played Sol Gittleman Park on Thursday evening. The contest was shortened to 4 1/2 innings due to rain and lighting.
The Jumbos improve to 20-14 on the season while the Engineers dip to 19-15-1 overall.
Tufts gave the ball to Michael O'Brien (Houston, TX), who worked two innings giving up zero runs and zero walks on two hits. The Jumbos used four pitchers on the day including Justin Wells (Stoughton, MA) who made his first appearance of the season after returning from injury.
The Jumbos bats got going quickly. In the bottom of the first, Patrick Solomon (Southboro, MA) ripped a triple to right to lead off the game. The next batter, Henry Fleckner (Weston, MA) would bring home Solomon on an RBI single to right field to put the Jumbos on the board 1-0.
In the bottom of the second, the Jumbos added four more runs. Ozzie Fleischer (Fort Worth ,TX) got the scoring started as he dropped a perfect bunt single that scored Cooper Smith (Eden Prairie, MN). Smith walked to lead off the inning then was moved to second on a single from Connor Flavin (North Easton, MA). Fleckner brought home Flavin on a hard-hit ground out to shortstop. The Jumbos got two more runs in the inning thanks to a two-RBI single to left from Ben Leonard (Medfield, MA) that brought home Solomon and Fleischer to give the Jumbos a 5-0 lead.
The Engineers would get a run back in the top of the third on a solo home run by Jacob Hand (Niskayuna, NY).
The Jumbos bats would not slow in the bottom of the third as they added six runs in the inning. Jesse McCullough (Sudbury, MA) led off with a triple then was scored on another triple by Flavin for the first run of the inning. Fleischer would add another RBI on the day as he singled to left to bring home Flavin. First-year Malachi Pena (Albuquerque, NM) opened the game with a three RBI double to give the Jumbos an 11-1 lead.
The Jumbos would add two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on two RBIs from Solomon to give the Jumbos a 13-1 lead. The Engineers added one more run in the top of the fifth when Zachary Roethlein (Pomfret Center, CT) plate Hand with a run-producing single before fore the game was stopped due to weather conditions. The game was eventually called and the Jumbos received the win as the game was official after the top of the fifth.
Solomon was 3-for-3 on the day and Fleischer finished the day 2-for-2 with a walk and three runs scored. Fleckner, Leonard, and Smith all stole a base. O'Brien was given the win as his record goes to 2-3. The Jumbos had 13 hits with zero errors on the night.
Hand was a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate for the Crimson and Gray while Jack Zawacki (Pittsford, NY) was 2-for-2 and Tommy Burns (Morris Plains, NJ) doubled and stole a base. Joseph Peregrim (Watervliet, NY) shouldered the loss on the mound for the visitors.
Both teams are back in action on Saturday with doubleheaders. WPI ventures to Newport, RI to face No.6 Salve Regina at 11am while Tufts will host Hamilton in the first two games of a NESCAC quarterfinal best-of-three series. The first game is slated for noon.
Majority of Release Courtesy Tufts Sports Information