Courtesy Williams Sports Information

Box Score

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - Tufts fought off elimination from the 2007 NESCAC Baseball Championship on Saturday as the Jumbos broke a 6-6 tie in the top of the ninth inning with a five-run outburst to subdue Bowdoin 11-6 at Joe Wolfe Field. Tufts improves to 24-11 and will take on Amherst in another elimination game at Bobby Coombs Field on Saturday afternoon for the right to face Williams on Sunday.

On Friday, Amherst held off Tufts 8-7 in a first round game played at Joe Wolfe Field.

Kevin Casey led the Tufts attack with four hits in five at bats and he scored twice and drove in two. Jordan Goldberg hurled 5.1 innings of relief and allowed just three hits in collecting his second win of the year against no defeats. Goldberg walked one and struck out three.

With the loss Bowdoin closes out the season with a record of 18-16. The Polar Bears Jon Koperniak went two for three with three runs scored and two RBIs. Tyler Turgeon took the loss as he hurled the 9th inning and allowed five runs on four hits. He walked one batter and struck out one batter.

Tufts took advantage of a game-opening error by Bowdoin shortstop K.J. Kozens and turned that into three runs with the help of four hits, including doubles by Steve Ragones and Kevin Casey.

Bowdoin got two runs back in the second inning when John Lawrie walked to open the inning and Nick Lawler followed with a double. Jon Koperniak was then hit with a pitch to load the bases. K.J. Kozens reached on a fielder's choice to drive in one run and then Nick Lawler brought home Koperniak with a sacrifice fly with one out.

Tufts answered the Bowdoin runs with two of their own in the top of the third when with two outs Kevin Casey and Kyle Backstrom each singled. Nate Bankoff then plated both runners with a double to left.

The Polar Bears rallied for three runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game at five when they belted three hits to tally the three runs. Patrick Duchette led off with a single, but he was soon retired when Reid Auger reached on a fielder's choice. John Lawrie walked and Koperniak smoked a double down the left field line to drive in Auger. A wild pitch put Koperniak on third and plated John Lawrie. K.J. Kozens' single to right knocked in Koperniak and knocked out Tufts starter Derek Rice. Jordan Goldberg entered for the Jumbos and he stopped the Bowdoin rally by picking Kozens off first.

Tufts took a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh inning when Bryan McDavitt led off with a single into right field. McDavitt motored home when Seve Ragonese followed with a single to centerfield that was misplayed by the centerfielder allowing McDavitt to score.

Bowdion tied the game at six in the bottom of the eighth inning when Koperniak led off with a HR to left field.

Tufts' game-winning rally in the top of the 9th inning came with two outs and Bryan McDavitt on first base via a walk. Corey Pontes reached on an error by the second basemen and then Kevin Casey drove in one run with a single. An error by the Bowdoin CF allowed Pontes and McDavitt to score. Backstrom and Bankoff both singled and then Chris Decembrele doubled to drive in two more runs, making it 11-6 Tufts.

Brian Casey then faced just three batters in shutting down the Polar Bears and sending the Jumbos to Williamstown to play Amherst at 2:45 p.m.