Like many of the Tufts spring sports teams this year, the baseball team began its season with high expectations and the necessary arsenal of talent to carry it through the postseason, but it ultimately fell short. After losing only two games to NESCAC East opponents in the regular season, the other half of the league proved to be more difficult as Tufts lost to Amherst 5-3 and Wesleyan 5-4 in the NESCAC tournament, ending the Jumbos' season.
The Jumbos' loss to Amherst on Friday, May 13 pitted them against Wesleyan (12-23-1) in an elimination game the next day. Wesleyan, who finished the regular season ranked second in the NESCAC West, knocked out the Jumbos, who were second in the NESCAC East behind Trinity. Tufts finished its season 23-11.
Wesleyan's victory was fueled by an eighth-inning offensive rally in which the Cardinals scored four runs. Sophomore starter Derek Rice pitched six outstanding innings for the Jumbos, dueling with Wesleyan's Will Gordon for five innings.
Gordon surrendered three earned runs on four hits and three walks, striking out seven. At one point Rice retired 10 consecutive batters, having given up only one hit entering the seventh. The Cardinals scored their first run in the seventh when Jeff Maier doubled, advanced to third on a fly ball, and then was balked home on a pickoff attempt.
The Jumbos gave Rice early run support, scoring in the second inning when sophomore third baseman Kyle Backstrom singled and advanced to second on an error before scoring. The Jumbos tacked on more runs in the sixth on three walks, a two-run single by Backstrom, and an RBI single by senior captain Bob Kenny.
In the eighth, Rice walked a batter and gave up an RBI double before being replaced by sophomore Aaron Narva. Narva then walked Jesse Leavitt, and Dan Poniatowski reached first on a bunt single. An RBI single by Anthony Gray narrowed the gap, leaving Tufts with a close 4-3 lead. Junior Erik Johanson replaced Narva and a two-run single by Maier put the Cardinals up 5-4.
"We had the game, we just didn't make some pitches," coach John Casey said. "I think some people didn't perform the way they were capable of performing, but we should have hit [Wesleyan's pitchers]. Mistakes get highlighted in the playoffs."
Tufts went down quietly in the ninth as Wesleyan reliever Andre Sternberg retired three batters in quick succession. The victory was a definite upset for the Cardinals, bringing their record to 12-23-1 overall. Wesleyan had been 1-2 against Tufts in the regular season.
Narva was handed his first loss of the season, dropping his record to 2-1.
Entering Saturday's game, the closer had a 1.66 ERA and a team-high six saves in his 19 appearances. Having only allowed four earned runs in 21.6 innings pitched and posting 25 strikeouts and 13 walks in the regular season, Narva has been a dependable bullpen workhorse this season.
Friday's game matched the Jumbos against Amherst (21-6-1), a more formidable opponent who went on to win the NESCAC Tournament on May 15 against Trinity. The Lord Jeffs will advance to the NCAA Tournament.
The Lord Jeffs, ranked first in the NESCAC West, handed sophomore ace Ben Simon his first loss of the year, dropping his record to 5-1.
Amherst junior Zach Schonberger blasted a three-run home run, his seventh this season and 15th of his career, in the third inning. Schonberger's shot brought the score to 4-0.
Freshman Adam Telian took over for Simon on the mound after three innings and tossed four innings in which he gave up one run on three hits. Senior Jeremy Davis threw one scoreless inning of relief.
"Our pitching was fine, it was their hitting [that won the game for Amherst]," Telian said. "We completely underestimated their hitting. They had a lot of hitters that were just unstoppable. We didn't come out as prepared as we could have, but we had a good amount of guys on base. We just struggled to get them in."
The Lord Jeffs' pitchers managed to get themselves out of trouble whenever the Jumbos challenged. Amherst junior starter Joe Vladeck pitched six scoreless innings before giving up a two-run single to junior right fielder Jim O'Leary.
Tufts sparked a rally when Backstrom knocked in a run with a single in the ninth, but reliever Chris Edgar struck out the tying run to pick up his second save.
"Our play was good enough to beat some of the teams we've played in the past," Telian said. "But it wasn't good enough to beat Wesleyan or Amherst. We could have done a lot better than we did."
The regular season featured consistent pitching and both sophomore Brian McDavitt and senior Greg Hickey earned NESCAC Player of the Week awards for their offensive contributions.
"I thought overall it was a good season," Casey said. "We just didn't make a couple of plays [in the postseason] and that's what happens in playoff baseball - everything's highlighted. We're still a young team. [Senior captain and catcher] Bob Kenny had a great playoff [season], he certainly showed our young kids how to play."
According to Telian, the way the season ended was disappointing, considering the Jumbos' success during the regular season.
"It was a complete shock to everyone on the team and in the program," he said.
