Bates (13-13, 6-4 NESCAC) can still win the NESCAC East by sweeping Saturday's home doubleheader with the Jumbos that gets underway at noon. If Tufts (16-13, 7-3 NESCAC) and Bates split Saturday's twin bill, both teams would qualify for the playoffs but Tufts would win the East division. 

On Friday, the Jumbos scored two in the first to take the lead for good. Will Burgess doubled to start the game and one out later Nick Falkson singled him to third. Bates starting pitcher senior captain Connor Russell (Cumberland, Maine) nearly got out of the jam when he got Malcolm Nachmanoff to hit a sharp grounder to short. But the ball got bobbled and the only play ended up being at first. Burgess scored on the play and the inning continued, now with two away. Casey Santos-Ocampo took advantage of the opportunity, doubling home Falkson to extend the lead to 2-0.

Bates had its best scoring opportunity against Hall (5-2) in the bottom of the first. Sophomore Jack Arend (Newfields, N.H.) walked to start the frame and two outs later junior Dan Trulli (Melrose, Mass.) singled him to third. Junior Justin White (Whitesboro, N.Y.) got hit by a pitch to load the bases but Hall was able to get the next batter to hit into a fielder's choice, ending the inning. 

Russell (3-2) threw 127 pitches in a gutsy performance against the highest scoring team in the NESCAC. He scattered eight hits over seven and a third innings, striking out a pair along the way, including the final batter he faced. The Jumbos were shutout from the second inning through the seventh. Unfortunately, Russell left the game with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth. All three runners ended up scoring to extend Tufts' lead to 5-0. A wild pitch scored one of the runs and a two-RBI triple from pinch hitter Justin Mills plated two more. 

Junior Alex Simon (Windsor, Conn.) got out of the eighth without any further damage thanks to sophomore Jon Lindgren (Plainville, Conn.) throwing out Mills at the plate on a fly ball to left off the bat of Harrison Frickman. 

After sophomore Will Sylvia (Newton, Mass.) singled with two outs in the second, Hall held Bates without another hit for the remainder of his outing. 

Sophomore Miles Michaud (Madison, Conn.) struck out two in a scoreless top of the ninth for Bates and the Bobcats threatened in the bottom half of the inning against reliever Kevin Galasso. With two outs and nobody on, Trulli singled down the left field line for his second hit of the game. White recorded his first hit of the contest with a single to right, moving Trulli to third on the play. Pinch hitter senior Asher MacDonald (Hillsborough, N.C.) drew a walk to load the bases but a fly out ended the game without Bates scoring a run. 

Friday marks the first time this season a team has shutout the Bobcats. 

Frickman went 3-4 at the plate but none of his hits factored in the scoring for Tufts. Four different Jumbos recorded doubles and Tufts outhit Bates 9-4. Trulli went 2-4 with a stolen base to pace Bates.