Teams: Baseball: Schedule & Results

JUMBOS COME BACK FOR KEY NESCAC EAST WIN OVER TRINITY

COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 7              Trinity (CT) 6

At Medford, MA
Friday, April 21 2006

Game Box Score

MEDFORD -- The Tufts baseball team overcame a 6-1 deficit to post a critical 7-6 victory against Trinity College in the first of three NESCAC East Division games this weekend on Friday afternoon at Huskins Field. Senior CF Jim O'Leary (North Easton, MA) drilled a single through the right side of the infield to score the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.

Tufts needs to win two out of the three games against the Bantams to keep their conference tournament hope alive. It didn't look good early, as Trinity opened a 6-1 lead in the top of the fifth. They scored three runs in the fourth with consecutive run-scoring hits by Ben Silvanic (Granby, CT), Steve Dilanian (Needham, MA) and Guy Gogliettino (Wallingford, CT). Sophomore Matt Stafford (Plymouth, MA) then mashed a two-run home run in the fifth.

Tufts started its comeback with a run in the bottom of the fifth on a double by O'Leary. While Jumbo starter Zak Smotherman (Westborough, MA) was settling down to pitch scoreless sixth and seventh innings, the Jumbos tied the score with two runs in the bottom of each inning. Junior C Chris Decembrele (Walpole, MA) narrowed the margin to 6-4 with a two-run home run in the sixth. Steve Ragonese (Upper Saddle River, NJ) led off the seventh with a walk and scored when Silvanic threw the ball into the outfield when trying to complete a double play at second after making an out at first. Jumbo junior LF Kyle Backstrom (Worcester, MA) then singled to tie the game at 6-6.

In the bottom of the eighth, a one-out bunt single by senior SS Greg Chertok (New City, NY) got things rolling. However, what looked like a certain 6-4-3 double play ball to Trinity shortstop Tom DiBenedetto (Fort Myers, FL) got caught in his glove and resulted in only an out at first with Chertok moving to second. O'Leary then brought him around with the eventual winning run.

Sophomore Jason Protano (Milford, MA) threw two innings of no-hit relief to earn the win for Tufts. Decembrele finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs and O'Leary was 2 for 5 with two RBIs. Backstrom and junior 1B Bryan McDavitt (Holden, MA) also had two hits as part of Tufts' 12-hit attack.

Sean Killeen (Greenfield, MA) and Silvanic each had two of Trinity's nine hits. Senior Gabe Rotman (Arlington, MA) absorbed the loss, allowing five hits and three runs in 1.2 innings.

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