Tufts Baseball Comes Back to Win NESCAC East Series Opener over Trinity 7-4

MEDFORD - Tufts scored three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to overcome a 3-1 deficit and win 7-4 in the opener of a three-game NESCAC East Division baseball series versus Trinity College Friday at Huskins Field.

In the bottom of the seventh, Christian Zazzali and Eric Schnepf both had base hits for Tufts. Back-to-back walks to Cody McCallum and Harry Brown forced home a run making it 3-2 Bantams. Tommy O'Hara gave Tufts a 4-3 lead with a two-out, two-run single up the middle.

Trinity answered immediately in the eighth to tie the score. Johnny Stamatis led off with a double to
right-center and scored on a single by Daniel Pidgeon. With Bantams on second and third with one out in the inning, Tufts reliever Joe Thomas struck out two straight to prevent further damage.

Tufts added three more in the bottom of the eighth on two hits, two walks, and two hit-by-pitches to lead 7-4. A single by McCallum and back-to-back hit-by-pitches from Brown and Will Shackelford brought home the runs. The Jumbos would leave the bases loaded with one out in the eighth, but Thomas finished off the Bantams in the ninth for his first collegiate win.

Brown started an excellent day for himself with an opposite-field home run off the top of the fence in right in the first inning for a 1-0 Tufts lead. He would finish 2 for 3 with three rbis and a run.

Trinity tied the game in the third when Cooper Mooney led off with a walk, went to second on a
single by Nick Pezzella, took third on a fielder's choice, and scored on a wild pitch. Ben Reinisch led off the Trinity fifth with a single, was sacrificed to second, took third on an error and scored unearned on a bunt by Pezzella. A pinch-hit home run by Jake Bennett to lead off the seventh put the visitors up 3-1.

Junior Tim Superko started for for Tufts and allowed five hits and four runs (three earned) with six K's and three walks in seven innings. Thomas pitched two innings of one-hit, no-run relief with four strikeouts. Oscar Kutch was 2 for 4 with a run for Tufts and Zazzali scored twice.

After allowing Brown's home run, Trinity starter Jed Robinson settled in and blanked the Jumbos over the next five innings. However, the Jumbos chased him in the seventh and then scored three off Pidgeon in relief. Pezzella was 2 for 4 for the Bantams.

Tufts (14-4, 3-0 NESCAC East) and Trinity (9-12, 4-3) play a double-header at Huskins tomorrow starting at noon.