JUMBOS TAKE SECOND NESCAC EAST GAME FROM BATES, 10-1

COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 10            Bates 1

At Medford, MA
Tuesday, April 5, 2005

Game Box Score

MEDFORD – Tufts out-hit Bates 14-6 on their way to posting a 10-1 victory over the Bobcats in NESCAC East Division play at Huskins Field on Tuesday afternoon.

The Jumbos (7-5, 2-0 NESCAC) got solo home runs from junior RF Matt Clement (Norwood, MA) in the first, senior LF Jeff Volinski (Andover, MA) in the fourth and sophomore CF Chris Decembrele (Walpole, MA) in the sixth to take a 3-0 lead. The home runs by Clement and Volinski were the first of their collegiate careers.

Tufts starter Derek Rice (Braintree, MA) shut out Bates (1-6, 0-2 NESCAC) for six innings until they broke through in the seventh. Bobcats pinch hitter Brian Buckley (Andover, MA) smacked a two-out double and scored on a single by pinch hitter Alex Maulucci (Avon, CT).

With their lead cut to 3-1, Tufts exploded for six runs in the seventh to take a 9-1 advantage. Senior DH Greg Hickey (Medway, MA) blasted a two-run double and sophomore 2B Brian Casey (Milford, MA) stroked a two-run single during the inning.

The Jumbo relief corps of senior Jeremy Davis (Little Falls, NY), sophomore Aaron Narva (Albuquerque, NM) and junior Erik Johanson (Wynnewood, PA) held Bates to just one hit over the final 2.2 innings. That finished the victory for Rice, who improved to 3-1 with 6.2 innings of five-hit, one-run pitching.

Sophomore 3B Kyle Backstrom (Worcester, MA), Hickey, Decembrele, Volinski and Casey all had two hits for Tufts.

Junior 3B Adam Worral (Duxbury, MA) finished 2 for 4 for the Bobcats. Bates starter Griffin Finan (Bethesda, MD) was victimized by the home runs. He pitched well otherwise in his six innings, giving up eight hits and three runs while striking out five.

The game was a make-up of a rain-out on Saturday. Tufts opened the three-game series against Bates on Friday with a 10-3 win and will finish the set at Bates on May 5.

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