THREE-GAME WINNING STREAK ENDS AS JUMBOS LOSE AT NC WESLEYAN
COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORE
North Carolina Wesleyan 4 Tufts 3
At Rocky Mount, NC
Thursday, March 25, 2004
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- Host North Carolina Wesleyan College scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to take a 4-3 victory from Tufts University in college baseball action on Thursday afternoon. The hosts were held to four hits by five Tufts pitchers, but were advantageous and improved to 15-9 overall. Tufts, which has played every day this week, lost for the first time since Sunday and dropped to 3-3.
With Tufts leading 3-2, NC Wesleyan strung together two singles off Tufts freshman pitcher Aaron Narva (Albuquerque, NM) with two stolen bases to score twice in the bottom of the eighth. CF Bishop led off the inning by singling and stealing second. He scored on a single by 3B Massey, who also stole a base and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by 1B Wooten. Jumbo junior catcher Bob Kenny (Milford, MA) led off the top of the ninth with a single and advanced to third with two outs, but was stranded there as the game ended.
Tufts had taken a 3-1 lead by scoring twice in the fourth. Making his first start of the season as the DH, freshman John Rothermel (Knoxville, TN) started the inning with a double. He scored when Kenny also doubled two at-bats later. Kenny than came around on an error and a sacrifice fly by sophomore SS Greg Chertok (New City, NY).
With so many games in a short period of time, Tufts head coach John Casey gave several members of the pitching staff an inning or two in the game. Senior Dave Frew (Worcester, MA) started and threw a hitless two innings. Sophomore Zak Smotherman (Westborough, MA) also hurled a hitless two innings in relief, striking out three. NC Wesleyan got seven strong innings from starter Stables, and scoreless relief from Willoughby and Holt.
Tufts sophomore RF Matt Clement (Norwood, MA), hitting .650 on the trip so far, went 3 for 4 with an RBI single in the third. Kenny and senior 3B Nick Palange (Hudson, MA) both had two hits. NC Wesleyan catcher Hutcherson finished 1 for 2 with a run scored and an RBI.
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