WALK-OFF HOME RUN BY ZUPANCIC IN 11TH LIFTS TUFTS PAST BENTLEY, 3-1
COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 3 Bentley 1 (11 inn.)
At Medford
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
MEDFORD -- A two-out, two-run walk-off home run by senior CF Evan Zupancic (Lake Oswego, OR) in the bottom of the 11th inning gave Tufts University a 3-1 win over Bentley College in non-conference college baseball action Wednesday afternoon. Zupancic's fifth homer of the year, which followed a catcher's interference call, boosted the Jumbos to 15-8. Bentley, with its fourth extra-inning loss of the season, dropped to 5-14.
With two outs in the bottom of the 11th, junior RF Frank Giliberti (Medford, MA) kept the inning alive when his bat connected with the catcher's glove while swinging. That brought Zupancic to the plate, and he ended the contest, driving an 0-1 pitch over the left field wall.
Tufts had taken a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single by junior RF Drew Blewett (Great Falls, MT). Freshman 2B Greg Chertok (New City, NY), making his first appearance of the season for the Jumbos, opened the inning by getting hit with a pitch, stole second and moved to third on a ground out before scoring on Blewett's single to left.
It remained that way until the top of the ninth inning. Bentley freshman LF Bill Dacier (Medway, MA) led off with a double off the left field wall, moved to third after consecutive Bentley batters were hit by pitches, and scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman 2B Chad Mastin (Newmarket, NH). Both clubs had numerous other scoring opportunities in the game, but could not capitalize. Bentley stranded nine runners and was just two-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Tufts left 11 on base, was one-for eight with runners in scoring position, and failed to score in the 10th despite a double with a man on second and only one out. Jumbo sophomore C Greg Hickey (Medway, MA), on second after being hit by a pitch and then sacrificed over, was forced to wait to see if a fly ball to right by freshman 1B Matt Clement (Norwood, MA) was caught. It fell in for a double and Tufts had runners on second and third. Bentley senior reliever Mike Griffith (Wrentham, MA) struck out the next hitter, and Falcon C Jamie Saccardo (Lynnfield, MA) threw down to third, picking off Hickey and sending the game to the 11th.
Earning the victory with six innings of two-hit relief was sophomore lefty Jeff Volinski (Andover, MA). He struck out seven and didn't walk a batter after classmate Jeremy Davis (Little Falls, NY) hurled five scoreless innings as the Tufts' starter. Griffith, who took the loss with both runs unearned following the catchers interference, struck out four and allowed two hits in 2.2 innings. Senior Mike MacDonald (Pittsfield, MA) pitched the first eight innings for the Falcons, allowing only five hits while striking out four, although he did hit five batters. He yielded only the one run, despite the Jumbos having eight base runners in the first two innings.
Dacier and senior 1B Jamie Gath (Reading, MA) each had two hits for Bentley, while Zupancic was the only Jumbo with more than one, finishing two-for-five.
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