Teams: Baseball: Schedule & Results

COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 14, Mass Maritime 1

At Medford, MA
Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Game Box Score

Senior CF Dave Katzman drove in three runs and scored twice for Tufts

MEDFORD -- The Tufts University baseball team busted open a close game by scoring 11 runs in the seventh inning and went on to defeat Massachusetts Maritime Academy 14-1 in non-conference action on Wednesday afternoon at Huskins Field.

The Jumbos sent 15 batters to the plate in the bottom of the seventh against three Buccaneer pitchers. Leading 3-1 at the time, they scored the 11 runs on four hits, three walks, three hit batters and three Mass Maritime errors. Junior catcher Alex Perry (Danvers, MA) started the rally with an RBI double and senior CF Dave Katzman (North Andover, MA) followed by lacing a two-run single up the middle. Katzman would later walk and score again on a two-run double by senior 3B Ari David (Lincoln, MA) during the inning.

Prior to that, the teams were playing a competitive, tidy ballgame. Buccaneer starter David Hike (Riverview, FL) worked a perfect first two innings and Jack Dilday (Long Beach, CA) pitched two scoreless innings in his start for Tufts. Perry put the hosts on the board with his second home run of the season to left against reliever Corey Murphy (East Wareham, MA) in the third. MMA answered in the top of the fourth after senior LF Tyler Spofford (Sharon Springs, NY) hit a one-out double, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a ground out by sophomore 2B Wil Rodriguez (Lowell, MA).

Tufts took the lead for good with two in the fifth. Junior LF Anthony Fucillo (Winthrop, MA) and freshman 2B Sam Sager (Cranston, RI) pulled off a double steal for the first run. Katzman plunked a double down the left-field line to scored Sager for a 3-1 Jumbo advantage. In the fifth and sixth innings, Buccaneers Joe DeFrank (Morgantown, PA) and Ross Hickey (Centerville, MA) singled and moved into scoring position, but the visitors could not push them around. Tufts then put the game out out of reach with its 11-run seventh.

The Jumbos used eight pitchers who combined to allow just four MMA hits. Sophomore Derek Miller (Whitman, MA) got the win, as he was the pitcher of record when Tufts took the 3-1 lead in the fifth. Freshman Chris DeGoti (Miami, FL) and sophomore Chase Rose (Scottsdale, AZ) pitched 1-2-3 frames in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Katzman finished 2 for 3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Perry finished 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBI. Sager scored three times in the game.

Winners of three out of four since returning from their spring trip, Tufts plays a key NESCAC East Division series at Trinity this weekend. MMA next hosts Emerson on Friday afternoon.

#