The baseball team clinched a spot in the NESCAC playoffs over the weekend, but not in the way the squad had hoped.
The Jumbos took two out of three from Colby over the weekend, giving them a 6-6 NESCAC record and a second-place finish in their division behind 12-0 Trinity. The Jumbos took the series opener in a 14-5 romp before dropping the first half of Saturday's doubleheader 7-6. But Tufts took the rubber game 17-3, guaranteeing the squad a spot in the four-team NESCAC playoffs.
"There were mixed emotions," senior co-captain Adam Telian said. "We were happy we made it but disappointed with how it happened. We lost to Colby, which is embarrassing in and of itself, but we also wanted to make it on our own merits. We had a chance this week, and we had a chance last week to do it. Overall though, we're in, and I'm happy with that."
The most disappointing result of the weekend came in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. Down 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Tufts scored three runs on a home run by sophomore first baseman Corey Pontes. The Mules would score one in the top of the seventh, bringing the score to 7-4, before the Jumbos made their second comeback attempt in the home half of the inning.
After senior Steve Ragonese flied out to begin the inning, Pontes singled, bringing up freshman designated hitter Chase Rose. Rose hit a one-out two-run homer to bring the Jumbos within one run.
"I've been seeing the ball well lately, and I saw a pitch I thought I could drive," Rose said. "It had to be a good pitch because I wasn't about to ground out with no strikes. I got a good pitch that I could hit, and I was just lucky to hit it the other way and get it out. I thought it was going to bring us back, but in the end, it wasn't enough to win the game."
Colby freshman reliever Ryan Murphy followed Rose by getting a lineout and strikeout to end the game and hand the Jumbos a potentially devastating loss.
Fortunately for Tufts, however, Bowdoin also dropped its Saturday afternoon game, falling to Bates 10-6. That meant that the Jumbos only needed to win the second half of the doubleheader to take a playoff spot, and the team responded with a resounding 17-3 victory.
Colby took the first lead of the game, scoring three runs off freshman starter Pat O'Donnell in the top of the second inning. O'Donnell allowed a sacrifice fly and a two-run home run in the inning, but that would be all he gave up on the day.
"In that one inning, I got away from my mechanics and missed my spots," he said. "When you miss spots, they'll hit the ball and hurt you."
O'Donnell went on to pitch all nine innings, allowing seven hits, walking two and striking out three to improve his record to 5-1.
"I just do whatever I can to help the team," O'Donnell said. "I didn't come here with any expectations. Whenever Coach Casey hands me the ball, I just go out there and do the best I can."
The Jumbos responded quickly in the bottom half of the inning, putting up seven runs and gaining a lead that they would not relinquish. Two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases with no outs for sophomore second baseman Alex Grzymala, who tallied an RBI single.
A groundout and a passed ball lead to two more runs for Tufts, before back-to-back doubles from junior co-captain third baseman Kevin Casey and freshman outfielder Ian Goldberg knocked in two more. Goldberg scored on an error by the opposing shortstop, and Rose capped off the scoring with a RBI single later in the inning. On the day, Rose was 4 for 8 with three runs and five RBI.
"It felt great [to contribute] but it doesn't mean much if our team doesn't win," Rose said. "That's all that matters."
After scoring one in the third, Tufts would explode again in the fourth, plating eight runs on four hits and one error to break open a 16-3 lead. As a team, Tufts had 15 hits, seven walks and four doubles in the game.
Tufts will now meet Williams or Amherst in the first round of the playoffs on Friday, May 9. The Jumbos have not played Amherst yet this year, but they won both games of a doubleheader with Williams by 2-1 scores on April 6.
"We're feeling pretty good," Telian said. "They're both really good teams, but we already took two from Williams this season...Amherst, we haven't seen yet this year. It'll be a challenge either way, but I'd like to face Amherst because they beat us last year in the playoffs, and I'd like some revenge. Overall, we're going in with high expectations and a good shot to win."
