VIRGINIA WESLEYAN TAKES TWO EXTRA-INNING GAMES FROM JUMBOS
COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORES
Virginia Wesleyan 6 Tufts 5 (8 inn.)
Virginia Wesleyan 4 Tufts 3 (8 inn.)
At Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA
Sunday, March 28, 2004
NORFOLK/VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Virginia Wesleyan College swept a double-header from Tufts University on Sunday, 6-5 and 4-3. The Marlins won both games in extra innings, scoring in the bottom of the eighth both times. The games were the last of Tufts University's spring trip. The Jumbos head home with a 5-5 record. Virginia Wesleyan, ranked 17th in the Division III pre-season national poll, improved to 15-5.
Tufts starter Jeremy Davis (Little Falls, NY) retired only one batter before he was removed in the first game. The Marlins took a 4-0 lead with four straight hits, including an RBI double by senior SS Paul Johnson. Tufts senior reliever Dave Frew (Worcester, MA) came on and put out the fire nicely. He would allow an unearned run in the second as the Marlins went up 5-0, but then pitched five scoreless innings to allow the Jumbos to get back into the game.
Tufts chipped away at the lead, scoring three unearned runs in the third and fourth innings to pull within 5-3 heading into the fifth. Freshman 1B Bryan McDavitt (Holden, MA) led off the inning with a triple and was then balked home by Marlins starter Adam Hamilton to make it 5-4. McDavitt was at the center of the rally when Tufts tied the score at 5-5 in the top of the seventh. He doubled, moved to third on a single by freshman DH Kyle Backstrom (Worcester, MA) and then scored on a double-play grounder.
Frew stranded VMC's Brent Voyovich on third in the bottom of the seventh after he doubled to lead off the inning and was sacrificed over. After Tufts got only a two-out single by senior 3B Adam Kacamburas (North Reading, MA) in the eighth, freshman 3B Ryan Ellis would have the game-winning hit for the Marlins in the bottom of the eighth after junior RF Colin Roberson got on by error.
Game two was more tightly contested throughout. Both teams scored runs in the first inning. Tufts got a two-out double by sophomore RF Matt Clement (Norwood, MA) and an RBI single from freshman DH John Rothermel (Knoxville, TN). Virginia Wesleyan struck quickly, with Voyovich leading off with a single and stealing second, then scoring on a double by #2 hitter 2B Brandon Hill.
Jumbo starter Zak Smotherman (Westborough, MA) and Marlins hurler Andrew Miller threw scoreless second and third innings until both teams struck again in the fourth. Tufts scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth to lead 2-1. VWC put runners on second and third with no outs in their half of the inning, and a sacrifice fly by catcher Mike Supa and a single by Ellis brought in the runs that gave the Marlins a 3-2 lead. Tufts would tie the game at 3-3 when freshman CF Chris Decembrele (Walpole, MA) led off the seventh with a solo home run. As the game went to extras, Tufts went 1-2-3 in their eighth, while Marlin DH John Kasiski hit a one-out double and scored on a Jumbo error for the winning run.
Freshman Erik Nguyen picked up the victory with an inning of scoreless relief. Smotherman went the distance for the Jumbos, allowing eight hits and three earned runs with five strike outs in 7.1 innings for a strong effort.
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