Baseball | Jumbos scorch Polar Bears to strengthen hold on second place

    In the most pivotal series of the season to date, the baseball team came out guns blazing, taking the first two of a three-game set against NESCAC East rival Bowdoin, including a 15-3 romp in the opener.
    Having won the series, the Jumbos now hold the tiebreaker over the Polar Bears, with whom they are currently deadlocked for second in the division with records of 4-5; Trinity has locked up first place with a 12-0 mark. If Tufts sweeps Colby, which is in the division cellar at 1-8, next weekend, the team will be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.
    Tufts struggled in its final game with Bowdoin, as the Polar Bears scored two runs in the top of the first and never looked back, holding the lead from wire to wire in a 13-7 victory.
    "It was our goal going into the series to take two of three," junior catcher and co-captain Alex Perry said. "We wanted to take all three, but we knew we needed two to keep our playoff hopes alive. We didn't put forth our best effort from the seventh inning of game two on, [however]. We did what we needed to do, but going forward, we still need to get better."
    The Jumbos saw more success in the first game of the doubleheader, managing an 11-9 victory over the Polar Bears. After both teams plated three runs in the first inning, they would go scoreless over the next two and a half innings until Tufts broke through with another run in the fourth. The Jumbos then proceeded to erupt again in the fifth, as the team put seven runs on the board to seemingly put the game away.
    Nevertheless, even with the score 11-3 heading into the final inning, the Polar Bears would not go away. Sophomore starter Derek Miller, who had gone five scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks since the first inning, whiffed another batter to open the frame but then loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. He was replaced by freshman hurler Chris DeGoti, who promptly surrendered four straight singles and six runs, allowing all three inherited runners to score. DeGoti would give up an additional run on a fielder's choice but was finally able to get out of the inning with a strikeout, giving the Jumbos a two-run win.
    "I think the biggest thing for us is to keep playing the game and not waiting for it to be over," Perry said. "We can't just hope for that final out to be made, and that's what we did."
    The Jumbos held a more comfortable lead on Friday, as they led the series off as well as they could have hoped for, scorching the Polar Bears 15-3 on Huskins Field. Senior Mike Stefaniak continued his stellar year, throwing eight innings while allowing three runs — all of which came on solo homers in the seventh and eighth innings — to improve his ERA to 3.16 and his record to 4-1. Stefaniak scattered seven hits and two walks, striking out 10 in the victory.
    "That was one of the biggest series of the season so far, so we definitely wanted to set the tone early, especially for the next day," Stefaniak said. "I just went out with the mindset that we had to win and knew I had to get ahead with fastballs and come back with off-speed stuff. They tended to swing at most of the off-speed and not hit it very hard, so that was the game plan."
    The Tufts offense also had quite a day, compiling a 6-0 lead before exploding for eight runs — all with two outs — in the sixth inning to put the game firmly out of reach. The Jumbos had five singles and two walks in the inning, while senior co-captain third baseman Kevin Casey and sophomore outfielder Ian Goldberg did their parts to clear the bases; Casey had a three-run double and Goldberg contributed a two-run triple four batters later.
    "It was big to come out and hit the ball and for our pitchers to do well," Perry said. "It was really one of the first times this year we've had an offensive explosion, especially against a conference opponent. We need to continue that and be consistent. We've been inconsistent in pretty much all aspects of the game all year. We need to do it for a series instead of one game."
    Despite Bowdoin's win in Saturday's nightcap, the damage had already been done by the Jumbos, who now are in pole position in the race for the final spot in the playoffs. All Tufts has to do is win as many games as Bowdoin does over the final weekend of NESCAC competition, and the team will be locked into its fifth straight NESCAC Tournament.
    "We need to take all three games; it's all in our hands right now," Perry said. "We need to go out and play Tufts baseball and be consistent, effective and efficient in all aspects. After a week of practice, I think we'll be ready for Friday."