In the last matchup of its 11-game southern road trip, the baseball team split a doubleheader with Virginia Wesleyan College on Sunday, winning the first game 7-1 and dropping the second 8-3.
In the second leg, the Jumbos built an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-RBI double by junior tri-captain Bryan McDavitt. This advantage did not last for long, however, as Virginia Wesleyan countered with three runs in the first and tacked on one in the second and two in the third.
Tufts never capitalized on the four errors committed by the Marlins, only scoring one more run in the fourth inning on an RBI double by senior tri-captain Greg Chertok.
Unfortunately for the Jumbos, the games were both seven innings, giving them fewer outs to compile a late-inning rally; Virginia Wesleyan scored two more runs in the fifth inning to seal their victory.
The first game was another story for Tufts as junior Ben Simon supported his team with a nearly flawless pitching performance. He threw all seven innings and yielded four hits and no earned runs, striking out five. In a doubleheader at the end of a long road trip, his stamina on the mound allowed the rest of the pitching staff to rest for the second set.
With the exception of a solo home run by freshman rightfielder Brian McDonough in the second inning, all of the offensive fireworks came in the top of the fifth inning. Freshman Kevin Casey started the rally with a leadoff walk, which turned over the lineup and brought up the power hitters to drive in the runs. After Chertok singled and junior Brian Casey drew another free pass, senior Jim O'Leary drove in Kevin Casey from third. McDonough and junior Kyle Backstrom capped off the rally, driving in two men apiece.
Knocking out Marlin starter junior Chris Rivera in the fifth inning, the Jumbos forced their opponents to use five pitchers to finish the game.
The team will only have a couple of days to readjust to the colder weather as it is scheduled to square off against the 5-2 Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Wednesday afternoon in Buzzards Bay.
