SIMON,
HICKEY STEER TUFTS TO 10-2 WIN OVER BOWDOIN
COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 10
Bowdoin 2
At Medford, MA
Friday, April 15, 2005
MEDFORD – Sophomore pitcher Ben Simon (Providence, MA) threw seven strong innings and senior DH Greg Hickey (Medway, MA) went 3 for 4 with three runs batted in as the Tufts Baseball team opened a three-game NESCAC East Division weekend series against Bowdoin College with a 10-2 victory on Friday afternoon.
Simon remained undefeated (4-0) this spring, going seven scoreless innings allowing five hits and striking out five. Tufts took a 4-0 lead in the second when red-hot junior RF Jim O'Leary (North Easton, MA) crushed a three-run home run to right field. Tufts added three runs in the third with run-scoring singles by sophomores Chris Decembrele (Walpole, MA) and Brian Casey (Milford, MA).
Hickey's solo home run highlighted a two-run fifth and he doubled home another run in the sixth as the Jumbos surged to a 10-0 lead.
Bowdoin, meanwhile, did not have a runner reach third base against Simon until the seventh on back-to-back base hits by sophomores John Lawrie (Walpole, MA) and Mike Buckley (Manchester, ME). Junior DH Ricky Leclerc (Manchester, NH) drilled a two-run home run in the eighth, his fourth of the year, to end the Tufts shutout bid.
Tufts had 14 hits overall, all off Bowdoin starter Trevor Powers (Wells, ME). The Jumbos got two hits apiece from O'Leary, sophomore 1B Bryan McDavitt (Holden, MA), senior LF Jeff Volinski (Andover, MA) and Decembrele.
The Jumbos kept their lead in the NESCAC East with the victory, improving to 13-6 overall and 3-0 in the conference. They have won 10 of their last 11 games. Bowdoin dropped to 12-7 overall and 3-4 in the NESCAC East. The teams will play a double-header on Saturday at Tufts' Huskins Field starting at noon.
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