Brian Mahoney '08

Dave Farrell '09

MEDFORD, Mass. -- The Tufts University baseball team used a combination of big innings and good starting pitching to sweep Bates College in a NESCAC East Division doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Huskins Field. The Jumbos won the first game, 10-2, and followed with a 16-2 victory in the nightcap.

In the seven-inning first game, Tufts senior Derek Rice (Braintree, Mass.) went the distance, allowing seven hits and no walks. Bates led early on an RBI single by junior 3B Brian Buckley (Andover, Mass.) and the score was 3-2 at the end of five innings. The Jumbos blew it open with seven runs in the sixth inning. Five were unearned and three came across on a double by senior 1B Bryan McDavitt (Holden, Mass.). Freshman DH Corey Pontes (Milton, Mass.) also hit his first home run of the season in the inning and finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

The Bobcats collected seven hits in the game, including a double by junior Alex Egelson (Fairfield, Conn.) and a triple by junior Casey McCormack (Keene, N.H.).

The Jumbos put game two out of reach early, scoring four times in the second on a two-run double by McDavitt and a two-run home run by junior RF Steve Ragonese (Upper Saddle River, N.J.). Tufts added eight runs in the bottom of the eighth when Ragonese launched his second home run of the game to bring in three more runs. He finished 5-for-6 with seven RBIs and three runs scored. Tufts had 18 hits overall.

Junior SS Brian Mahoney (Sudbury, Mass.) and sophomore catcher Dave Farrell (Chatham, Mass.) each had two hits off Tufts starter Jason Protano (Milford, Mass.). The Jumbo junior pitched all nine innings, allowing eight hits and one earned run.

Tufts, who swept Bates in a three-game series including a 4-2 win on Friday, improves to 10-4 overall and 3-0 in the NESCAC East. The Bobcats dropped to 1-8 and 0-3.

-- Tufts University Sports Information

BOX SCORE: Tufts 10, Bates 2 (Game 1)

BOX SCORE: Tufts 16, Bates 2 (Game 2)