WALTHAM, Mass. - The visiting Tufts University baseball team
held host Brandeis University to just one run on six hits while
making the most of their lead-off opportunities as the Jumbos took
a 4-1 decision on Stein Diamond today.
Tufts (6-13) used lead-off hits
in the second, third and fourth innings to score single runs in
each frame. Sophomore RF Chase Rose (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral)
was the catalyst in two of those innings, leading off the second
with a double and the fourth with a triple. He came home on an Alex
Perry (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) grounder and a Nate Bankoff
(Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) sacrifice fly. The Jumbos' other early
run came when senior CF David Katzman (No. Andover, Mass./St.
John's Prep) singled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on
a single by senior 3B Kevin Casey (Milford, Mass./Milford).
Brandeis (11-14) sophomore
starter Pat Nicholson (E. Walpole, Mass./Walpole)
allowed Tufts base-runners in the sixth through eight innings, but
was able to dance around the trouble. Meanwhile, the Judge bats
were relatively silent against Tufts rookie starter Chris DeGoti
(Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit Prep) and sophomore Derek Miller
(Whitman, Mass./Whitman-Hanson), who allowed just four hits through
7.2 innings.
Miller encountered trouble with
two out in the eighth, though, when sophomore pinch hitter
Eric Rosenberg (Oakland, N.J./Indian Valley)
dropped a single into short right field. Miller then issued a walk,
followed by a balk and another walk by rookie Dave Ryan (Trumbull,
Conn./Trumbull). Tufts coach John Casey summoned junior Tom Hill
(Robbinsville, N.J./Peddie School) from the pen, and he got the
final out of the inning, a grounder to short, on his first pitch.
Tufts added an insurance run in
the top of the ninth on another Bankoff RBI, while the Judges
snapped their scoring drought with a lead-off home run by junior 1B
Drake Livada (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape
Elizabeth). After junior 2B Jon O'Brion (Portland,
Maine/Portland) singled and rookie RF Andrew Cohen
(Beverly Hills, Calif./Monclair Prep) reached on a
fielder's choice, Hill threw two wild pitches and issued a walk to
Brandeis rookie SS Sean O'Hare (Southampton,
Mass./Hampshire Reg.). That brought Casey to the hill
again, getting sophomore Ed Bernstein (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro).
O'Hare stole second to put two runners in scoring position, but
Bernstein got a strike out and a fly ball to deep center field that
died just short of the fence to secure the save.
Tufts, which managed just four
runs despite 12 hits and four walks, was paced by Bankoff, who was
3-4 with two RBI; Katzman, who reached in all four plate
appearances, going 3-3 with a walk and a run scored; and Rose, who
was 2-5 with two extra-base hits, a double and a triple, and two
runs scored. Miller earned the win, improving to 2-1 with 3.2
innings of one-hit ball, with two walks and two strikeouts.
Bernstein earned his first save.
Brandeis got four of their six
hits from two players: Livada, who was 2-4 with his second home run
in as many games and the seventh of his career; and O'Brion, who
was 2-4. Nicholson suffered the loss, falling to 4-3, going 8.2
innings and avoiding too much trouble despite 12 hits and four
walks. He gave up four earned runs and struck out two.
Brandeis is next in action on
Saturday when they travel to Western New England College for a noon
doubleheader, while Tufts hosts Middlebury in a NESCAC
inter-division twin-bill Friday at 1:30 p.m.
BOX
SCORE
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