Teams: Baseball: Schedule & Results

TUFTS TAKES IMPORTANT FIRST GAME OF TRINITY SERIES, 2-1

COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 2    Trinity 1

At Hartford, CT
Friday, April 20, 2007

Game Box Score

HARTFORD -- Senior RHP Derek Rice (Braintree, MA) pitched eight innings and allowed one run and six hits with five strikeouts, and sophomore 2B Kevin Casey (Milford, MA) knocked in both runs as the visiting Tufts University Jumbos won 2-1 at Trinity College in NESCAC East Division baseball action this afternoon.

The Jumbos, ranked No. 5 in New England, improve to 16-7 overall and 6-1 in the division. Trinity, ranked No. 2 in New England and No. 20 in the nation, drops to 21-4 overall and 7-3 in the NESCAC East with its first loss in nine games. The teams will complete a three-game series tomorrow with a noon double-header at Trinity. Either team will clinch a post-season appearance with a sweep tomorrow.

Tufts scored first in the top of the third with a single by sophomore OF Dave Katzman (North Andover, MA), a double by senior tri-captain Brian Casey (Milford, MA) and a sacrifice fly by Kevin Casey. Trinity answered with its only run in the bottom of the inning on a double by sophomore C Sean Killeen, a Jumbo error, and a sacrifice fly by junior OF Matt Stafford. The Jumbos scored the eventual winning run, and the only run of the last six frames, in the top of the fifth. Brian Casey doubled with two outs and Kevin Casey singled him home.

Rice stranded nine Trinity base-runners in the game, as they reached base in seven of eight innings against him. In the bottom of the eighth, with Tufts clinging to a 2-1 lead, Rice walked Kent Graham and hit Stafford with a pitch. A bunt by James Wood put Bantams on second and third with one out. Rice got out of the jam, striking out Ryan Piacentini and getting Ben Silvanic to ground out. Brian Casey pitched a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout for Tufts, earning the save. Both Casey's finished 2 for 3 for the Jumbos.

Trinity junior RHP Chandler Barnard suffered the loss despite allowing just five hits and fanning six in 8.2 innings of work. Killeen and junior SS Tom DiBenedetto each went 2 for 4 for Trinity.

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