Late Run Lifts Tufts Past Baseball 3-2

Medford, Mass. - The Tufts baseball team won its eighth straight game in dramatic fashion on Sunday, scoring a run in the bottom of the ninth to take a 3-2 win over visiting Framingham State.

With the game tied 2-2, Jumbo senior captain Cody McCallum reached on an error. After Oscar Kutch sacrificed, an intentional walk to Matt Moser and a hit-by-pitch to Tommy O'Hara loaded the bases. The Rams tried to turn a double play on a ground ball to second by Mike McLaughlin, but he beat the throw to first and McCallum scored the game-winning run.

The Rams had taken a 2-0 lead after two were out in the top of the first. Senior Jon Chapman drew a walk and then junior Ryan Wardwell hit his fourth home run of the season.

The Jumbos got one back in the second. Dan Kelly led off with a single to center and stole second. A walk by Harry Brown and a base hit by Eric Schnepf loaded the bases and then McCallum walked to bring home the run.

The middle innings were dominated by pitching. After giving up the home run, Tufts starter Andrew David retired 12 in a row. A fifth-inning double by Rams freshman Anthony Venuti broke up the stretch, but then David retired 10 straight after that.

Meanwhile, Framingham starter Al Wallach held the Jumbos to just that one run through six innings. He put down 11 out of 12 Tufts hitters from the third through the sixth innings.

Tufts tied the game and chased Wallach in the seventh. Schnepf led off with a walk, was sacrificed to second by McCallum, and scored on Kutch's double.

David would not get the win, but pitched tremendously allowing two hits with 12 K's in eight innings for the Jumbos. Sophomore Ian Kinney pitched a 1-2-3 ninth in relief and picked up the win.

Wallach's outing went 6.2 innings allowing five hits and two runs with four strikeouts and three walks. Rams senior Brendan McDonough took the loss in relief.

Kelly was the only player in the game with two hits.

The Jumbos (12-3) travel to Salem State for a single game on Monday. The Rams (6-13) are next in action on Tuesday at Gordon with a 3 pm first-pitch.

Release courtesy of Tufts Sports Information.