Although it came home from a four-game series at Middlebury winless, the baseball team did not return completely empty-handed.
After totaling only eight runs its previous four games, the Tufts offense picked up the pace this weekend, scoring 24 runs against the Panthers on 37 total hits.
"I think we're doing a better job at the plate," senior outfielder Jim O'Leary said. "We're working counts better and getting better pitches to hit."
O'Leary's production over the weekend certainly signified Jumbos' offensive step up at Middlebury this weekend. The senior outfielder was 6-for-13 with three RBI and reached base twice on walks and three times for being hit by pitches.
Another Jumbo that produced at the right time was junior Chris Decembrele, who was 3-for-9 with three RBI on the weekend. Like O'Leary, Decembrele also worked counts effectively, earning three walks on the weekend, equaling O'Leary and freshman third baseman Kevin Casey's total. All in all, Tufts batters worked 17 walks off Middlebury pitching on the weekend for an average of over 4 per game.
Kevin Casey's production at the plate did not end with his patience, however, as he was also 4-for-12 at the place with two RBI. Not to be outdone by his younger brother, junior shortstop Brian Casey knocked in three runs of his own, going 6-for-17 at the plate with a walk. Nick Curato rounded out Tufts' quality offensive performances on the weekend, going 4-for-12 with two RBI.
Despite some stellar offensive performances, the team's lapses on the mound and in the field kept Tufts from making any gains in the NESCAC or national standings in Vermont.
"We need to cut down on mistakes and take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves," O'Leary said.
The Jumbos dropped the first game of each day by a single run, something that may have affected the team going into the second leg of the doubleheader.
"I would say [losing the first game of a doubleheader] probably does have some [mental] effect," O'Leary said. "But good teams should be able to get through it and move on to the next game."
O'Leary leads the Jumbos in hitting this season with a .439 batting average and a .614 slugging percentage and is fourth on the team with 15 RBI. Curato, Brian Casey, and Kevin Casey have all been among the team's offensive leaders this spring, batting .348, .346, and .338, respectively. Brian Casey's 22 runs are best on the team, and his eight doubles represent the Jumbos' second-highest total.
Tufts' RBI leaders, junior tri-captain Bryan McDavitt and freshman Brian McDonough (19 each), combined for only seven hits and four RBI on the weekend; McDavitt's 10 doubles and 19 walks are also best for Tufts this spring. If those two can return to their prior levels of production and the rest of the team can stay effective at the plate, the current stretch of seven losses in eight games may soon be only a memory.
Although the team returns to action today at UMass-Dartmouth, the most important test of the week comes on Saturday when the Jumbos host Trinity in a three-game NESCAC East series. If the Jumbos, who stand at 3-3 in the division, can sweep the Bantams (5-2), they will take a giant step toward a second-place finish behind only Bowdoin. Taking two of three from Trinity would also set the Jumbos up nicely heading into the stretch run, but losing two or three games is simply not an option.
"It's obviously a very big weekend, and we just have to regroup," O'Leary said. "It's gut-check time."
