Vikings Hold Off Jumbos 7-5

Recap, photo courtesy of Salem State

SALEM, MASS. –  Joe White (Bellingham, Mass.) went-3-for-4, with four RBI, including hitting his second home run of the year and pitcher Brock Riley (Lowell, Mass.) improved to 4-0 on the season as Salem State held off Tufts 7-5 at the Central Campus Baseball Field on Monday afternoon.

Riley pitched six innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits with five strikeouts to remain unbeaten on the year.  

Riley escaped trouble in the first after allowing a leadoff walk and two singles in the inning. Madoc Fisher (Wayne, N.J.) threw out Tommy O'Hara (Glenview, III.) attempting to steal second, and Riley ended the threat when John Moschella (Little Silver, N.J.) hit into a fielder's choice.  

Tufts scored the first run of the game after Casey Santos-Ocampo (Naples, Fla.) led off the second
with a walk. A fielder's choice moved Santos-Ocampo to third and he came home on an error by the leftfielder for a 1-0 Jumbos' lead.  

Salem State tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth when White hit a one-out single to center that scored Kyle O'Connor (Lynn, Mass.). The Vikings scored three runs in the sixth off starter Jamie Weiss (Manhasset, N.Y.). Alex Toomey (Beverly, Mass.) knocked in O'Connor with a base hit for Salem State's second run and White delivered a two-run inside the park home run that put Salem State on top 4-1.

Joshua Bell (Uxbridge, Mass.) replaced Riley in the seventh after a walk and hit batter. Bell gave up two runs on a single by Justin Mills (Highland Park, III) and a sacrifice fly by Malcolm Nachmanoff (Boston, Mass.), but Tufts could not tie the game as they stranded two runners.
Weiss, who took the loss allowed four runs on five hits with three strikeouts, was replaced by Kevin Galasso (Westfield, N.J.) in the seventh.

Leading 4-3, the Vikings answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning off Galasso as Toomey doubled in the first run with a shot to right center and White added his fourth RBI of the game with a base hit to right.

Duran replaced Bell in the eighth after a single and walk led off the inning. Elias Varinos (Middleton, Mass.) plated one run with a single and Mills added a sacrifice fly to pull the Jumbos to within 6-5.

However, Mac Daniel Singleton (Everett, Mass.) provided an insurance run with a two-out hit to left in the eighth off relief pitcher Andrew Wood (Westfield, Mass.).

Duran retired the Jumbos in the ninth, despite allowing back-to-back, two out singles.  Duran, who earned his first save of the season, ended the threat when Varinos grounded out to shortstop to end the game.