Teams: Baseball: Schedule & Results

COLLEGE BASEBALL FINAL SCORE
NESCAC Tournament
Tufts 15, Williams 9

At Williamstown, MA
Sunday, May 10, 2009

Game Box Score

Chase Rose contributed a 4 for 5 game with two runs and two RBI

WILLIAMSTOWN -- The Tufts University baseball team advanced to the NESCAC Tournament championship round for the third time in the last four seasons by eliminating Williams College, 15-9, in a game started on Saturday afternoon and finished on Sunday morning.

The Jumbos will play against Trinity College for the NESCAC title on Sunday. Tufts has to defeat the Bantams twice to win the conference and earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The first game between the teams will be played at 10:30 am, followed by a second game if necessary at a time to be determined.

Routed by Williams 18-5 in their NESCAC Tournament opener on Friday, the Jumbos got revenge with a nine-run fourth inning propelling them to victory in the elimination game. The Ephs (25-12) will await a possible at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Tufts, playing as the home team on Williams' Coombs Field, scored twice in the first inning on RBI singles by junior 1B Nate Bankoff (Lynnfield, MA) and senior 3B Kevin Casey (Milford, MA). Jumbo starter Derek Miller (Auburn, ME) allowed an unearned run in the third and Tufts led 2-1 after three.

Williams struck for four runs in the fourth, including a two-run home run by freshman CF Stephen Maier. The Jumbos answered by sending 14 men to the plate in the fourth, which featured four hits, six walks and a hit batter. Sophomore RF David Orlowitz (Wakefield, MA) and freshman catcher Matt Collins (Hopkinton, MA) both hit two-run doubles in the inning. Tufts led 11-5.

The offensive production continued on both sides. Williams got two in the fifth with doubles by junior catcher Chad Brown and junior shortstop Robin Allemand contributing. The Jumbos scored an unearned run in the fifth on an RBI single by sophomore LF Chase Rose (Scottsdale, AZ) to lead 12-7. The Ephs added another run in the sixth when senior DH Barrett Allison led off with a walk, was balked to second and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman 3B Cameron Susk. Tufts also manufactured a run in the bottom of the inning when Collins walked and went to third during an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Orlowitz then singled him home and Tufts led 13-8.

In the top of the seventh, the game was suspended due to inclement weather. There was one out and runners on first and second with a run already in for the Ephs. The teams picked up where the left off on Sunday morning and Tufts reliever Pat O'Donnell (Worcester, MA) picked off two base-runners in the seventh, then finished off the Ephs with scoreless eighth and ninth innings for the save. The Jumbos added single runs in the seventh and eighth for the 15-9 final.

Among several Jumbos who had big games, Orlowitz finished 2 for 6 with three RBI and two runs, Rose was 4 for 5 with two runs and two RBI and Collins was 1 for 3 with two runs and two RBI. Sophomore shortstop David LeResche (St. Louis, MO) scored three runs. Miller earned the win, improving to 4-2.

Maier was 2 for 6 with two runs and two RBI for Williams while Allison had two runs and an RBI during a 1 for 5 game. Allemand was 2 for 5 with a run and an RBI. Harry Marino was the losing pitcher, giving up nine runs in 3.2 innings.

The game featured 27 hits (15 by Tufts) and 11 errors (seven by Tufts).

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