When Eddie Guardado served as the Minnesota Twins closer during the late 1990s and early 2000s, the lefty was known for his willingness to work two or even three days in a row, earning the moniker "Everyday Eddie" in the process.
After this weekend, it is time to start referring to senior relief pitcher Ed Bernstein as "Twice−A−Day Eddie."
With the Jumbos ahead in the late innings of both parts of Saturday's doubleheader, coach John Casey turned to Bernstein, and the senior responded with his first two saves of the season, helping the Jumbos (12−4−1 overall, 6−0 NESCAC) cap a sweep of Trinity (13−8, 3−3).
"I don't think I have ever gone into a game without being confident I could get the job done," Bernstein said of his willingness to pitch twice in a day. "Especially as a reliever, without the mindset that I can go out there in any spot and execute, I don't think I'd be any good at my job."
The hard−throwing righty locked down the Bantams in each outing, whiffing four hitters over two combined innings while maintaining his spotless 0.00 ERA. Bernstein has now struck out 23 batters and allowed just three hits over 14 1/3 frames this spring.
But before Bernstein could take over, the Jumbos needed leads for him to protect. In the second game of the twinbill, senior starter Derek Miller did his part, allowing just a first−inning run before holding the Bantams scoreless for the rest of his 7 2/3 innings of work. Miller allowed six hits and six walks while striking out five. He stranded all but one of those base runners thanks to some timely groundballs, picking up his first win of the season.
The Tufts offense was not particularly efficient in the 4−1 victory either, leaving 11 runners on base. But the Jumbos scraped across two in the third, one in the fourth and another in the eighth.
The baseball team's seniors were responsible for most of the scoring. Right fielder Chase Rose drove in the first two Tufts runs on a sacrifice fly to deep center, scoring shortstop David LeResche and centerfielder David Orlowitz. An inning later, left fielder Ian Goldberg stole second after reaching on the fielder's choice, and second baseman Frank Petroskey drove him in with a double.
Petroskey also scored the Jumbos' eighth−inning run, thanks to a pair of defensive miscues by Trinity. He reached on a two−base error by the second baseman, stole third and then scampered home when Bantams junior catcher Luke Auger threw the ball into left field.
The Tufts bullpen had no trouble protecting the three−run lead with four outs to go, as junior Jake Crawford bridged the gap between Miller and Bernstein by inducing a groundout with the tying run at the plate.
Earlier on Saturday, the Jumbos enjoyed another strong pitching performance from junior Dave Ryan, who allowed three runs over six innings and fanned seven. Ryan handed the ball directly to Bernstein, improving to 3−0 in the 5−3 victory.
The offense backed Ryan early and often, scoring all five runs in the first two innings. LeResche started the game with a double and scored on an RBI single by Rose.
The second−inning rally began with a single by Goldberg and a run−scoring double by sophomore Tom Howard. Howard himself came around on a sacrifice fly by LeResche, before Orlowitz continued the attack with a single. Junior co−captain third baseman Sam Sager provided the big blow, a two−run double that broke the game open for good.
"Trinity is a good team, and they're one of our main rivals," sophomore designated hitter Eric Weikert said. "I thought we swung the bats well, and it was good to get ahead early."
Ryan was wild to start the game, walking the first two batters he faced and surrendering three runs in the first. But by the time the Jumbos were done scoring in the top of the second, Ryan had settled in. He cruised through the sixth, allowing just five hits and a walk the rest of the way.
Friday's opener was every bit the laugher that its 13−0 final score suggested. Junior Kevin Gilchrist continued his dominance on the mound, hurling eight shutout innings and lowering his ERA to 2.06 in the rout. The offense never looked back.
Weikert delivered a 3−for−5 effort with a double and four RBIs. Sager and Goldberg each had two hits. And by the time the dust had settled on Campus Field, all three Trinity pitchers who appeared in the game were tagged with at least four runs.
"I've been working hard on staying back on the ball and driving it the other way," Weikert said. "That's what coach Casey and the other coaches have told me and the other guys to do. I got a couple good pitches to hit on Friday and was fortunate to find some holes with them."
Gilchrist improved to 4−1 with the win, and his latest gem laid the groundwork for the Jumbos' sweep. By taming a Trinity offense that came in batting .349 as a team and that had scored at least 13 runs in each of its previous four games, Gilchrist bolstered Tufts' confidence and left the bullpen rested and ready for Saturday.
"I think it's always about execution," Bernstein said. "When we attack the strike zone and make them put the ball in play, we have a great defense that makes plays for us. I don't think it matters who is hitting; as long as we do our jobs, we should be successful."
The Bantams' batting average dropped to .332, as they managed only four runs over the three game set. By halting Trinity's four−game winning streak, the Jumbos extended their own surge to nine games, dating back to March 26.
"I thought we played real sharp," Bernstein said. "We didn't give them anything for free all weekend, which is a pretty good sign."
The baseball team will next be in action on Wednesday, when it will host Div. II Bentley College at 3 p.m. on Huskins Field. The Jumbos' NESCAC slate will resume next weekend with a trip to Colby.
"It's about consistency, not ups and downs during a season," Weikert said. "So we're going to go right back to working hard and staying focused to prepare for our games this week."
