With its playoff destiny square in its own hands heading into the final NESCAC series of the season, Tufts continued its streak of timely hitting and offensive prowess, sweeping Colby to earn a berth in the conference tournament.
Tufts and Bowdoin were tied for second in the NESCAC East standings with matching 4-5 records in conference play heading into the weekend. But because the Jumbos had won two out of three in the head-to-head series with the Polar Bears, the Jumbos owned the tiebreaker, and a weekend sweep of Colby would clinch the tournament bid.
"We have to sweep. If we sweep, we're in," coach John Casey said as the team prepared for the road trip to Waterville, Maine.
And, with a 5-3 win on Friday combined with 8-4 and 10-8 victories in the doubleheader on Saturday, the Jumbos brought the brooms to Colby's Coombs Field, earning their fifth consecutive trip to the NESCAC Tournament and improving to 7-5 in NESCAC play.
Although all three games eventually went the Jumbos' way, the series was a tense affair, and the host Mules -- well out of the playoff chase and eager to play spoiler -- did not go down without a fight.
The series finale was one of the most nerve-wracking games the Jumbos endured all year. Tufts jumped on Colby's starter, senior tri-captain Bobby Whelan, early, pushing three runs across in the first inning. Sophomore Chase Rose's two-run single highlighted that rally, which was catalyzed by a pair of defensive miscues by Colby's middle infielders.
While sophomore Ed Bernstein kept the Mules' offense at bay for the first three innings, he struggled in the fourth, giving up a two-run double to freshman Mike Mastrocola. Bernstein then walked the leadoff batter in the fifth and was replaced by junior Tom Hill, who retired two batters but allowed another couple of runs to score. Casey then handed the ball to sophomore Jack Dilday, and the hard-throwing righty came through with a strikeout of junior Ken Kaufman, preserving a 5-5 tie after five innings.
The tie would be short-lived, however, as Tufts junior Nate Bankoff -- who had already authored five hits and driven in four runs up until that point in the doubleheader -- smashed the only home run of the series over the right-centerfield fence, giving Jumbos a 7-5 advantage. Much to the team's chagrin, Colby struck back, as a two-run double by senior Craig Cooper evened the tally at seven.
With the pressure on the Jumbos after Bowdoin completed its sweep of Bates, sophomore David Orlowitz doubled in a pair in the seventh, and senior Dave Katzman added another on an RBI single in the eighth, giving Tufts a 10-7 lead. Casey turned to freshman Chris DeGoti and -- despite hitting a batter with the bases loaded to narrow the lead to two -- DeGoti came through to clinch the victory, giving the rookie his third save of the weekend.
"DeGoti, DeGoti, DeGoti; we don't do this without him," the veteran skipper said after the game.
Earlier in the day on Saturday, the Jumbos rode the momentum of a come-from-behind win on Friday to an 8-4 victory. Tufts got a shaky outing from sophomore lefty starter Derek Miller -- who was removed with one out in the fourth inning after allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks -- but again solid relief from Dilday and DeGoti, who were credited with a win and a save, respectively, got the job done.
The seven-inning contest was a nailbiter for the first four innings, as the Jumbos led by just one run heading into the fifth. But that's when Bankoff banged his fourth hit of the game, a two-run single that padded Tufts' lead to 7-4. The strong bullpen work kept that lead intact the rest of the way, and the Jumbos added an extra run in the seventh, when freshman Sam Sager was hit by a pitch and then scored on a throwing error.
Sager also provided a clutch hit in the series opener on Friday afternoon, bashing a two-out double in the top of the ninth inning to send Tufts to a 5-3 win after the Jumbos had entered the final frame with their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy, trailing Colby by a run.
It had been a frustrating day for the Tufts offense up to that point, as Colby's starter, sophomore Dominick Morrill, allowed just seven hits, and the Jumbos hurt their cause by making a pair of critical baserunning mistakes. The Mules came back from an early 1-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead into the ninth.
The rookie second-baseman's game-winning knock gave life to the previously dejected Jumbo dugout, scoring Katzman and Orlowitz in the process. Sager then crossed the plate on an RBI single by sophomore David LeResche. DeGoti notched the save, protecting the two-run lead with two strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth.
"That win was all about grit and determination -- we just didn't give up," Casey said.
The late rally would not have been possible if not for excellent relief pitching by sophomore Pat O'Donnell. Tufts' starting senior Mike Stefaniak struggled, exiting the game with one out in the third inning. But O'Donnell picked him up, inducing a flyout to strand a runner at second base in the third frame and then allowing just one more Colby run in five and two-thirds innings of two-hit work, while walking none and striking out a pair.
Bankoff's offensive outburst in the doubleheader on Saturday, which included six hits -- three singles, two double, and a homer -- and five RBIs, was also vital to the Jumbos' sweep.
"It felt great to help us win those games and get into the playoffs," Bankoff said. "We did it my freshman year and my sophomore year, and I sure didn't want to end that streak."
With their NESCAC Tournament berth secured, the Jumbos -- now 16-15 overall on the year -- will turn their attention to extending a different streak, which entails securing the program's 17th-consecutive winning season. The Jumbos must win two of their three remaining non-conference games to accomplish their key preseason goal.
The team will next be in action Monday night at 7 p.m. at Eastern Connecticut, a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country previously this season, before playing a doubleheader against Babson on Sunday to round out the regular season schedule.
