Ephs are eliminated from NESCACs by Tufts 15-9
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WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – The Williams College Ephs (25-12) and the
Tufts University Jumbos (19-18) resumed Game 5 of the NESCAC
playoffs this morning in the top of the seventh inning with one
out, resulting in a 15-9 Tufts victory. With the win, the Jumbos
eliminate Williams from the tournament and earn the chance to
challenge the defending NESCAC Champion Trinity Bantams, who they
will have to defeat twice to take the trophy.
Sophomore Pat O’Donnell was on the hill for the Jumbos when
the weather forced players off the field, and he remained on the
bump to start the seventh. The Ephs had runners on first and second
with one out and junior Al Mathews at the dish, the NESCAC leader
in batting average and RBIs. Before the first pitch was delivered,
junior Robin Allemand got caught leaning off second and was picked
off for the second out. After Mathews’s single moved senior
Barrett Allison to second, he too was nabbed at second base on a
close pickoff play to end the inning.
Senior southpaw Horowitz entered in the bottom of the frame to
finish the day on the hill for Williams. With runners on second and
third and two outs, senior Dave Katzman singled in the 14th Jumbo
run. Tufts would insure their lead further in the eighth when a
two-out error scored sophomore Dave LeResche to make it a 15-9
ballgame heading into the ninth.
Williams threatened in their half of the eighth, putting runners
on second and third with one out, but they could not get the big
clutch hit to put them back in contention. They failed to rally in
the top of the ninth as O’Donnell closed out the contest to
advance the Jumbos to the championship round.
Sophomore starter Derek Miller (4-2) was awarded the win, despite
allowing 6 earned runs off 8 hits and 2 walks in 6 innings of work.
Williams started rookie Harry Marino (3-1), who took the loss in
3.2 innings, surrendering 9 earned runs on 8 hits and 4 walks.
Sophomore Chase Rose boasted the best day at the plate for Tufts,
going 4 for 5 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs. Sophomore David Orlowitz also
had a big game, going 2 for 6 with two runs and 3 RBI. Freshman
Stephen Maier went 2 for 6 with 2 RBIs for Williams and fellow
rookie Cameron Susk also had 2 RBIs.
Scoring began yesterday in the bottom of the first, when freshman
leadoff hitter Sam Sager singled to start the inning for Tufts.
After Marino got the next two outs, junior Nate Bankoff and Rose
belted back-to-back RBI singles to give the Jumbos an early 2-0
advantage.
The Ephs got on the board in the third when junior Chad
Brown’s sacrifice fly brought in Maier to cut the deficit in
half. They struck for 4 more runs on 4 hits and 2 errors in the
fourth, highlighted by Maier’s 2-run homer to left
center.
But in the bottom of the frame, the Jumbos took the lead back and
then some, rallying for 9 runs on just 4 hits to make it an 11-2
ballgame. After Marino got two quick outs to start the inning,
Sager and Katzman reached base to set up a 2-run Orlowitz double.
Marino then walked the next four hitters before being pulled from
the mound of junior Thomas Coleman. The reliever would also exit
later in the same inning after 5 more runs crossed the plate.
Senior Zack Stone took the hill and finally got the elusive third
out. But the critical blow had been dealt, as Williams was unable
to overcome the 9-run hole and eventually lost 15-9, despite 7
Jumbo errors in the field.
Tufts and Trinity will battle at 10:30 a.m. on Bobby Coombs Field
this morning for Game 1 of the championship series. If Trinity
wins, they will have earned their second consecutive NESCAC title,
while Tufts will have to win back-to-back games today to dethrone
the Bantams.
