JUMBOS WIN HOME FINALE OVER BABSON, 8-3
COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 8 Babson
3
At Medford, MA
Sunday, May 2, 2004
MEDFORD – Tufts sophomore pitcher Zak Smotherman (Westborough, MA) had a no-hitter into the sixth inning and the Jumbo offense scored five times in the bottom of the sixth for an 8-3 victory against local rival Babson College at Huskins Field on Sunday afternoon.
Smotherman hit Babson lead-off hitter Mike Muccio (Northborough, MA) with a pitch, but then retired the next 16 Beaver batters. Freshman SS Billy Schmitt (Fairview, NJ) broke up the bid with a bunt single in the sixth. Smotherman went on to finish eight innings, allowing five hits and one earned run while striking out four with no walks. He picked up his third win.
The Jumbos (18-13) scored single runs in the first and fourth on Babson mistakes. Senior 3B Adam Kacamburas (North Reading, MA) led off the first with a walk, stole second, moved to third on a ground out and scored unearned on a Babson error. In the fourth, freshman SS Kyle Backstrom (Worcester, MA) – who hit three home runs in a 9-4 Tufts win at Babson last Tuesday – led off with a double, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch.
Tufts built its lead to 7-0 in the sixth. With one out, they ripped five straight hits, including a two-run double by sophomore LF Jim O'Leary (North Easton, MA) and a run-scoring triple by freshman CF Chris Decembrele (Walpole, MA).
The Beavers (24-15) broke up Smotherman's shutout in the seventh with two unearned runs. Senior catcher Greg McGinnis (Frederickton, NB) and pinch hitter Billy Lucas (Atlanta, GA) had back-to-back singles with one out and both scored with the help of a Tufts throwing error. Babson made the score 7-3 with a single run in the eighth on a two-out double by senior 2B Matt Bigda (Shrewsbury, MA) and an RBI single by sophomore DH Ted Dziuba (Wayne, NJ).
Junior 1B Dave Bishop (North Chelmsford, MA), who had an RBI single in the Tufts eighth, finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs. O'Leary also had two hits and two RBIs for the Jumbos, while Backstrom continued to assault Beaver pitching with a 3 for 4 day and two runs scored.
No one in the Babson line-up had more than one hit as they got five overall. Senior P Jeff Heighington (Dracut, MA) took the loss, going 5.2 innings and allowing 10 of Tufts' 13 hits.
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