Baseball Edges Tufts, 6-4

MEDFORD, Mass. – The Endicott baseball team notched a 6-4 non-conference victory over Tufts University on Thursday evening at Huskins Field.

Alexander Zaiser (Naples, Fla.) earned the win (1-0) in relief on one scoreless inning in the seventh. Victor Molle (Peabody, Mass.) also threw a scoreless eighth inning to bridge the gap to junior right-handed closer Will Bryant (Cumberland, Maine) who recorded his 10th save of the season via two hits and two strikeouts.

Tufts' starter Manny Ray (Bedford, N.H.) took the loss (0-1) via eight innings of work, six hits, five runs (two earned), three walks, and four punchouts.

Down 4-3 headed into the seventh, the Gulls scored solo runs in each frame to improve to 13-4 on the road this year.

Brad Rebello (Bellingham, Mass.) evened the score in the seventh with an RBI single to left field, while Matthew McKinley (Hudson, N.H.) pushed Endicott ahead 5-4 with a sacrifice fly to center in the eighth. Rebello and Dan Cacciola (Saugus, Mass.) later capped the scoring in the ninth when they completed a double steal as Cacciola scored an all-important insurance run by swiping home after Rebello took second.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Endicott is 3-1 all-time against Tufts.
• Michael DeDonato (Chelmsford, Mass.) extended his hitting streak to six straight games going 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI.
• DeDonato has also reached base safely in 15 straight games (longest streak on the team).
• Endicott scored three runs in the first on a DeDonato RBI double, a double steal, and a Hunter Boyce (Bangor, Maine) infield RBI single to short. The Gulls are 9-3 this season when they score first.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (20-11) hosts Eastern Nazarene in a conference doubleheader tomorrow at 10 AM & 12 PM. Tufts (15-13) travels to Bates tomorrow for a 2 PM conference matchup. 

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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)