Bryan McDavitt, baseball
The baseball team scored a total of 16 runs this weekend to take two of three games from NESCAC East rival Bowdoin, and senior tri-captain Bryan McDavitt played a large role in that offense.
Named NESCAC Player of the Week yesterday, McDavitt went 7-13 this week, including 5-9 this weekend, with four runs scored and two RBI. The senior started off his week going 2-4 in a tough loss to New England rival Brandeis and scoring one of the Jumbos' two runs.
Saturday was McDavitt's day, however, as he went 2-3 in game one of the series with two runs scored and one RBI. The most important run scored was the last one, which put the Jumbos ahead 6-5 and handed them the win in the bottom of the ninth inning. In the ninth, McDavitt smacked the ball off the left field wall. Trying to stretch it into a triple, McDavitt drew a throw throw, which soared into the third base dugout, allow him to score the winning run.
McDavitt took no break in game two, going 3-4 with a solo home run in the fifth inning in the Jumbos' 9-2 loss. McDavitt is now second on the team in batting average, hitting .395, and also stands in second place in RBI with 20.
Courtney Thomas, women's lacrosse
The Jumbos' offense erupted against two non-conference opponents last week, combining for 35 goals in two blowout wins over Bridgewater State and Endicott. Sophomore Courtney Thomas led the way, notching six tallies in each game and totaled 14 points in the two contests.
The sophomore was right in the middle of the team's strong first-half efforts last week, in which the Jumbos outscored the Bears and the Gulls by a combined score of 28-4. During Tufts' April 10 clash with Bridgewater State, Thomas netted the final two scores of a five-goal outburst less than 10 minutes into the game, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 lead the Jumbos would not relinquish. Thomas scored another goal with 5:52 remaining in the first half, extending Tufts' lead to double digits.
Thomas also had three first-half goals in the Jumbos' April 12 victory over Endicott, helping the team build an insurmountable 15-2 halftime lead. She also contributed three of Tufts' four second-half goals, sealing a convincing 19-5 victory.
Thomas' efforts have propelled her to second in the NESCAC with 29 goals and first on the team in points with 38. The games were undoubtedly breakout performances for Thomas, who finished with six goals and three assists in 12 games last season. She leads a potent and balanced offensive attack that features seven players with at least 20 points and three players ranked in the top six in the NESCAC in scoring.
