Teams: Baseball: Schedule & Results

COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORES
Tufts 11, Bowdoin 9
Bowdoin 13, Tufts 7

At Medford, MA
Saturday, April 18, 2009

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

Derek Miller earned the game one victory

MEDFORD -- Tufts University and Bowdoin College split a NESCAC East Division baseball double-header on Saturday afternoon at Huskins Field. The Jumbos scored seven runs in the fifth inning of the first game and then withstood a Polar Bears comeback to win 11-9. Bowdoin senior DH Jason Koperniak (Adams, MA) and sophomore CF Brendan Garner (Swampscott, MA) combined for seven RBI in a 13-7 game two victory.

Including Friday's 15-3 Tufts win, the Jumbos took the series two games to one. Tufts is now 12-15 overall and 4-5 in the league. Bowdoin is 17-14 and 4-5. Both teams are competing with Bates College for the East Division's second berth into the conference tournament May 8-10.

Both teams scored three runs in the first inning of game one. Senior 1B Joe Berte (Marlborough, MA) hit a two-run home run for Bowdon in the inning. Tufts sophomore SS David Leresche (St. Louis, MO) singled home a run and scored in the bottom half. Tufts sophomore starter Derek Miller (Whitman, MA) settled in nicely after that, allowing just two hits and no runs in the next five innings. The Jumbos led 11-3 through six innings. In the big fifth inning, Tufts had five hits and Bowdoin made four errors along with allowing a strikeout victim to reach base on a wild pitch.  Jumbo senior 3B Kevin Casey (Milford, MA) hit a two-run single and scored in the inning.

The Polar Bears rallied in the top of the seventh, scoring six runs on six hits. Junior catcher Reid Auger (Billerica, MA) and sophomore RF Dan Hicks (New York, NY) both hit two-run singles in the inning. Bowdoin had the tying run at the plate, but Tufts reliever Chris DeGoti (Miami, FL) got a strike out to end it.

Leresche finished game one 2 for 3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Casey and junior DH Nate Bankoff (Lynnfield, MA) were both 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run. Miller pitched 6.1 innings allowing seven hits and six runs, striking out seven and walking one while improving to 3-1. Auger was 2 for 4 with two RBI and two runs scored at the top of the Bowdoin line-up. Junior 2B Kevin Zikaras (Milford, CT) was 2 for 4 and scored two runs. Junior Carter Butland (Columbus, OH) was the losing pitcher, giving up seven hits and five earned runs in four innings.

Bowdoin scored in each of the first thee innings of the second game to lead 6-1. Auger tripled to lead off the game and scored in the first, then doubled home a run and scored in the second. The visitors scored without a hit in the third. Tufts cut the gap to 6-4 with three in the fourth. After one-out singles by senior CF Dave Katzman (North Andover, MA) and sophomore LF Ian Goldberg (Lake Forest, IL), three straight walks and a sacrifice fly brought in the runs.

The Polar Bears built their lead to 11-4 with three in the fifth and two more in the sixth. Koperniak and Garner had RBI in both innings, while Hicks and sophomore 3B Brett Gorman (Bedford, NY) scored runs in both innings. With Bowdoin up 11-5 in the ninth, Koperniak hit a two-run single for a 13-5 advantage. Tufts sophomore CF David Orlowitz (Wakefield, MA) hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth for the final runs.

Auger finished a fine day 3 for 6 with two runs and an RBI in game two. Gorman was 3 for 5 with three runs and an RBI, Koperniak was 2 for 4 with four RBI and Garner was 2 for 4 with three RBI and a run. Junior Joe Pace (Newburyport, MA) pitched five innings allowing four hits and three earned runs to get the win. Freshman Tim Welch (Portsmouth, NH) pitched the final four innings to earn his third save. Bankoff was the lone Jumbo with multiple hits in game two, going 2 for 3 with two RBI. Goldberg and freshman 2B Sam Sager (Cranston, RI) both scored twice. Sophomore Pat O'Donnell (Worcester, MA) took the loss, while reliever Tom Hill (Robbinsville, NJ) did not allow an earned run in three innings of work.

Tufts hosts UMass Dartmouth in a single game on Tuesday. Bowdoin is at Husson on Wednesday.

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