MEDFORD, Mass. -- Defending NESCAC champion Tufts scored the first nine runs of the game and defeated the Bates baseball team 12-3 in Sunday's rubber match of the three-game series between the two conference foes.

The Jumbos (12-8, 4-1 NESCAC) slugged three more home runs on their way to victory, giving them eight for the series. Bates (10-9, 2-4 NESCAC) tallied nine hits on the day but left 11 runners on base.

Gavin Brown (2-1) turned in a strong performance for the Jumbos, tossing six innings of one-run ball, striking out six along the way. 

Connor Brala got the Tufts offense going in the top of the third with a solo home run, breaking a scoreless tie. The Jumbos added four runs in the fourth inning to create distance between themselves and the Bobcats.

Bates did score some runs late in the contest, getting on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Senior captain Chris Cimino (Scarborough, Maine) led off with an infield single and first-year Henry Prince (McLean, Va.) doubled him to third. Junior Brandon Biggane (Rensselaer, N.Y.) singled up the middle to score Cimino and get Bates in the run column.

The Bobcats picked up another run in the bottom of the seventh. Sophomore Liam Yardley (Keene, N.H.) and first-year Keagan Ryan (Salem, N.H.) both got hit by pitches. Senior captain Jack Brennan (West Hartford, Conn.) followed with a single and Cimino delivered a sacrifice fly for the second run of the game for Bates. But a caught stealing and a strikeout ended the rally.

Down 10-2, the Bobcats got one back in the eighth. Biggane led off with an infield single and one out later senior Noah Jankowski (Methuen, Mass.) got hit by a pitch. A fielder's choice put runners at the corners and Yardley singled home Biggane. 

But that was it for the Bates offense, and Tufts added two more runs in the top of the ninth for the final margin. 

Prince and Biggane tallied two hits apiece to pace the Bobcats. Senior starting pitcher Luke Linnehan (Hingham, Mass.) took the loss after a strong start to the game, as he couldn't get out of the fourth inning, allowing five runs on three hits in 3.2 innings pitched.

The Bobcats are back in action Tuesday when they take on UMaine-Farmington at 3:30 pm on the campus of Bowdoin College.