NATALE LEADS TRINITY BASEBALL TO COMEBACK WIN OVER TUFTS
COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORE
Trinity 6 Tufts 5
At Hartford, CT
Friday, April 22, 2005
HARTFORD -- Senior co-captain Jeff Natale (Hamden, CT) singled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth as the Trinity College Bantams came back from a 5-1 deficit to beat the visiting Tufts University Jumbos in NESCAC East baseball action this afternoon, 6-5.
Trinity, ranked first in New England and fourth nationally, stops a two-game losing streak with the win and improves to 22-4 overall and 9-1 in the NESCAC East, while Tufts falls to 16-7 overall and 5-1 in the league.
Natale, batting .500 entering the game, led the Trinity offense throughout the day, reaching base in four of five plate appearances with two singles, two walks, two RBI and a run scored. Senior co-captain Andrew Fries (Dublin, OH) also did some damage with the bat for the Bantams, collecting a single and an RBI double in the sixth to spark a three-run inninig and the Trinity comeback.
Trinity relievers held Tufts scoreless over the final three and two thirds innings as freshman Mike Regan (West Roxbury, MA) came in to squash a Tufts rally in the sixth and struck out three over an inning and two thirds. Sophomore Tim Kiely (Swampscott, MA) pitched two scoreless innings, retiring all six batters he faced with one strikeout to earn the win in relief for the Bantams.
Tufts jumped out to an early lead with runs in the second and fourth innings, and behind the pitching of sophomore Ben Simon (Providence, RI) held a 5-1 lead entering the bottom half of the sixth. Simon allowed three earned runs and five hits while striking out three in six innings of work. Jeremy Davis (Little Falls, NY) picked up the loss for the Jumbos as he allowed three hits and one earned run in an inning and a third of relief. Senior captain Bob Kenney (Milford, MA) and sophomore 2B Brian Casey (Milford, MA) each had two hits to pace the Tufts offense.
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