ZUPANCIC LEADS CHARGE AS JUMBOS THUMB COLBY, 15-5
COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 15 Colby 5
At Waterville, ME
Saturday, April 26, 2003
WATERVILLE, Me. -- The Tufts Baseball team took one step closer to clinching a spot in the NESCAC Tournament by defeating East Division rival Colby College, 15-5, in the first game of a three-game series in Maine on Friday.
Senior CF Evan Zupancic (Lake Oswego, OR) led the way from the top of the batting order, finishing 5 for 6 with three runs scored and an RBI. Tufts must now win at least one game in a double-header between the teams on Saturday to earn second place in the East and a berth into the four-team playoffs that run May 9-11.
The Jumbos broke the game open with a six-run sixth inning. They proceeded to score 12 runs in the final four innings. At the start, Tufts took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on three hits and two walks. Junior 3B Adam Kacamburas (North Reading, MA) worked a bases-loaded walk for the first Tufts runs, then junior DH Greg Hickey (Medway, MA) singled home another run. Tufts scored another run in the fourth when Zupancic doubled and scored with one out.
Colby scored its first run in the fifth, unearned, off Tufts starter Dave Martin (Arlington, MA). Nick Miller lead off with a walk and scored on a single by Dan Deacon. By the time Colby scored again in the eighth, when they plated four runs, they were trailing, 14-1.
Tufts' six-run sixth was highlighted by a grand slam home run from senior LF Jon Herbert (Davidsonville, MD). Earlier in the inning, senior SS Brian Shapiro (Swampscott, MA) hit a two-run single with the bases loaded. The Jumbos put six runners on base in the inning, four hits and two walks, and all of them scored. A double by Kacamburas, who was 3 for 3 with five runs batted in, scored two runs in the seventh, and his single in the eighth brought home two of the Jumbos' three runs in the inning.
Colby started the eighth with four straight hits off Martin, including a two-run single by C Eric Roy. Senior Mike Byron (Hanover, MA) came on in relief and surrendered an RBI single to Colby SS Kevin Brunelle. Tufts added its final run in the ninth on two walks and a run scoring single by sophomore C Bob Kenny (Milford, MA). Junior Randy Newsom (Cincinnati, OH) set Colby down in the ninth with two strike outs and a grounder back to him.
In addition to Zupancic and Kacamburas, Herbert had a big day offensively at 2 for 5 with three runs and 4 RBIs. Jumbo sophomore 1B John McBride (Billerica, MA) was 3 for 5 as Tufts pounded 17 hits off four Colby pitchers. Roy went 4 for 4 while Colby produced 14 hits of their own.
Martin earned the win, going seven innings allowing 12 hits and four earned runs. Owen Kenney was Colby's loser, pitching well until the sixth, but walking six.
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