Last week, the baseball team slugged its way to blowout victories, twice breaking 20 runs and going 3-1. On Sunday, the Jumbos used a different formula, but the result was exactly the same.
Behind the strength of stellar pitching and excellent defense, Tufts took a pair of 2-1 victories against NESCAC West foe Williams in a doubleheader in Williamstown, Mass. Seniors Jason Protano and Adam Telian and freshman Pat O'Donnell did not surrender an earned run in 16 innings of work.
"We got an opportunity to play in a different type of game, a chance to play better defense," said Protano, who got his third win of the season. "We had a couple of timely hits."
Entering the game the Jumbos, who moved to 11-6 at weekend's end, were riding a three-game winning streak in which they had outscored their opponents 57-10. They thrashed Mass. Maritime 22-4 on Thursday and used a 26-3 win over Bates on Saturday to take the 2-1 advantage in the series, their NESCAC East opener.
Sunday's doubleheader was a chance for the Jumbos to capitalize on this momentum against a solid Williams team that entered the contest at 13-5.
In the first of the two seven-inning games, Protano and Williams junior Dan Benz engaged in a pitchers' duel that set the tone for the day. After five and a half innings of scoreless ball, Eph shortstop Robin Allemand drew first blood, singling in first baseman Zach Stone, who had reached on an error.
Down 1-0 entering the sixth, the Jumbos responded quickly. Senior right fielder Steve Ragonese led off with a single and promptly stole second base. After a walk to sophomore Corey Pontes, freshman Chase Rose grounded into a double play, leaving Pontes on second with two outs.
Junior designated hitter Ari David and sophomore Alex Grzymala walked, loading the bases and setting the stage for sophomore catcher Alex Perry to come up with the game's biggest hit, a double to left field that scored Pontes and David. Grzymala was thrown out at second on the play, but the Jumbos got the two runs they would need to hold on.
Williams threatened again in the bottom of the sixth. A leadoff single was followed by a walk and a fielder's choice that advanced the runners, knocking out Protano, who finished with six hits allowed.
But Telian closed the door for the Jumbos, inducing a flyout from Stone to end the inning. Williams had one final chance in the bottom of the seventh, getting a one-out double from left fielder Pat Barren, but Telian held on and secured the win for his classmate Protano.
"It was great," Protano said. "I located the ball well. My defense played well behind me ... Adam Telian picked me up."
If the opener of Sunday's twinbill was a change of pace for the Jumbos, the second game was eerily similar to the first. Tufts again got the boost from fantastic pitching, this time a complete game gem from the righthander O'Donnell. The Worcester native gave up only two hits and two walks while striking out seven to improve to 3-0 on the season.
"O'Donnell pitched great," Telian said. "He was hitting his spots ... It was just great to see him pitch the way he did today."
In the second game, Tufts got on top first, not an easy task against Eph starter Ben Horwitz, who totaled seven strikeouts over six innings. In the top of the fifth, freshman shortstop Dave Leresche singled, advanced to second on a fielder's choice and scored on a double from junior Dave Katzman.
After Katzman went to third on a single from freshman Ian Goldberg, junior co-captain Kevin Casey drove in what turned out to be the decisive run, knocking in Katzman with a single to right field.
Tufts' only blemish came in the sixth, and just like the first game, it was in the form of an unearned run. A double drove in Barrett Allison, who had reached on an error by Casey.
Still, the Jumbos held on for their second consecutive 2-1 victory. For Tufts, the results were welcomed, but not all that unexpected.
"That's how we expect to play," coach John Casey said. "We had good pitching and we made the plays we had to."
"It feels great to just get those two wins," Telian added. "It's good to see us play an all-around game like that, especially against a good team."
The Jumbos, now 5-1 against NESCAC foes, face Brandeis today before heading into a crucial NESCAC East division series at Bowdoin this weekend.
"Brandeis is a good team as well," Protano said. "We don't want any setbacks going into the weekend."
The challenge for the Jumbos will be to pitch like they did on Sunday while hitting like they did last weekend. But for now, having won five straight, Tufts is riding high.
"It feels good," Telian said of Sunday's win. "It just gives us more confidence to go into Bowdoin and get three more from them."
On the team's strategy, Casey kept it simple.
"We're just taking it every pitch, every inning."
