Teams: Baseball: Schedule & Results

JUMBO PITCHING LEADS TO SWEEP OF APPRENTICE SCHOOL

COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORES
Tufts 2    Apprentice School 0
Tufts 2    Apprentice School 1

At Newport News, VA
Saturday, March 24, 2007

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Senior Derek Rice (Braintree, MA) fired a seven-inning two-hitter in the first game, and sophomore Mike Stefaniak (Needham, MA) and freshman Jordan Goldberg (Westborough, MA) combined on a four-hitter in the second game as the Tufts baseball team swept a double-header at the Apprentice School on Saturday, 2-0 and 2-1.

In the opener, Apprentice lead-off hitter James Denny hit a double in the bottom of the first, but Rice picked him off second. The Builders did not get another hit until Denny's single with two outs in the sixth. In the seven-inning game, Rice faced 23 batters, just two over the minimum.

Tufts got its runs in the third and fourth. Freshman 3B Caleb Sims (Burlington, MA) reached on a fielder's choice, moved to second on a walk and scored on a single by senior shortstop Brian Casey (Milford, MA). In the fourth, junior RF Steve Ragonese (Upper Saddle River, NJ) led off with a single and eventually came around on a base hit by sophomore CF Eric Catalanotti (Grafton, MA). Apprentice freshman pitcher Brandon Terry also had a fine outing, giving up just four Tufts hits.

More runners were left on base in game two, with the Jumbos stranding nine and the Builders seven. Apprentice took an early 1-0 lead. They put the first three runners of the game on base with a single and two walks. After Tufts cut a runner down at the plate, sophomore CF Eric Polk scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore 3B Bryce Beale. In the second, Tufts senior catcher Chris Decembrele (Walpole, MA) hit a one-out single and eventually scored on a double steal. Sims reached on an error to start the fifth, was bunted to second, moved to third on a fly ball and scored on a single by sophomore 2B Kevin Casey (Milford, MA).

Decembrele finished 2 for 2 for the Jumbos. Golberg earned the win with 4.1 innings of relief, allowing just two hits. After three straight losses, Tufts has now won three in a row and is 6-4 on its spring break trip. Sophomore catcher Kyle Center was 2 for 3 for Apprentice (16-12), and freshman starter Patrick Adams was a tough-luck loser, pitching five innings and allowing four hits.

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