BIG THIRD INNING LIFTS JUMBOS OVER EASTERN CONNECTICUT

BIG THIRD INNING LIFTS JUMBOS OVER EASTERN CONNECTICUT, 8-2

COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 8 Eastern Connecticut 2

At Medford, MA
Tuesday, May 3, 2005

MEDFORD – Tufts sent 11 men to the plate and scored five runs in the third inning, propelling the Jumbos to an 8-2 victory against Eastern Connecticut in college baseball action between New England top five teams on Tuesday afternoon. Tufts, ranked fourth in the region, improved to 21-8, while #3 Eastern Connecticut (13^th nationally) dropped to 26-10.

Tufts senior DH Greg Hickey (Medway, MA) finished 3 for 5 with two runs batted in, including a run-scoring single in the third. Sophomore CF Chris Decembrele (Walpole, MA) had an RBI double for the Jumbos in the third. The barrage opened up a 7-2 lead.

Eastern junior 3B Zach Mehrbach (Lyme, NH) had roped a two-run home run to right field to give the visitors a quick 2-0 lead in the first. Tufts got them right back in the bottom of the inning on RBI hits by Hickey and by sophomore 3B Kyle Backstrom (Worcester, MA) making it 2-2.

Five Tufts relievers shut down the Warriors after the first. Sophomore Carlos Lopez (Brooklyn, NY) pitched the second and third innings, allowing just one hit, and earned the victory. Junior Erik Johanson (Wynnewood, PA) and freshman Adam Telian (Stoughton, MA) each also pitched two scoreless innings for the Jumbos. Lopez stranded Mehrback on third in the top of the third. Eastern loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth against Johanson, but he got a foul pop-out to escape the danger. The Warriors put the first two runners on base against Telian in the seventh, but he recorded three straight outs to stop the threat.

Tufts added a single run in the seventh on a walk by senior catcher Bob Kenny (Milford, MA) and a sacrifice fly by junior RF Jim O'Leary (North Easton, MA). Sophomore 1B Bryan McDavitt (Holden, MA) went 2 for 4 and scored two runs for Tufts, while junior shortstop Greg Chertok (New City, NY) was 2 for 3 with an RBI and seven assists in the field.

Mehrbach led the Warriors with a 2 for 4 day and superb play at third base. Senior DH Leon Galemba (Fairfield, CT) was also 2 for 4, and sophomore Eric O'Toole (Waterbury, CT) added tw singles after entering the game in the seventh. Sophomore Sam Iverson (New Milford, CT) took the loss, allowing six hits and seven runs (four earned) in 2.1 innings.