BUZZARDS BAY, MA -- Maritime took on 11-1 Tufts on Tuesday afternoon in the team's last non-conference game before beginning conference play this weekend. The Jumbos jumped on the board in the first and held the lead throughout the game even though the Bucs gave them a run for their money. Tufts took a W back to Medford, 7-2, over the Buccaneers.

The Basics

Final: Jumbos 7, Buccaneers 2

Records: Tuft (12-1)

              Maritime (7-8)

On The Mound

Tufts: Tommy Leone (W, 1-0): 1 IP | 1 H | 0 R | 1 BB | 1 K

Maritime: Michael Estrada (L, 0-1): 0.2 IP | 0 H | 3 R | 3 ER | 3 BB | 1 K

               Justin Brown: 7.1 IP | 7 H | 3 R | 2 ER | 0 BB | 3 K

At The Plate

Maritime

• Six players had hits in the game for the Bucs; Zach Sylvia, AJ Pietrafesa, Brett Velzis, Frank Aten, Tucker Leslie, and Chris Perito all had one hit.
• Aten had the team's only extra-base hit, a double.
• Perito was credited with an RBI in the game.
• Sylvia and Aten each scored a run.
• Velzis and Aten both drew walks from Tufts pitching.

Tufts

• Miles Reid led the way for Tufts with three hits in the game. 
• Leadoff man Ozzy Fleicher had two hits, a double and a triple.
• Patrick Solomon, Jackson Duffy and Justin Perrotta each had one hit.
• Solomon drove in three runs in the win.
• Fleicher scored twice.
• Duffy had a double to move the total extra-base hits for the Jumbos to three.
• Solomon was also credited with a stolen base.

How It Happened

Tufts scored three in the top of the first to open the game. The first run scored on a fielder's choice putting out a runner at second. Unable to turn the double play, the Bucs saw Fleischer score the first run. Later in the inning, Solomon hit a single to right to bring in two runs. In the bottom of the inning, things did not start well for Tuft. Sylvia reached base on a single, advanced to second on a ground out and then was moved to third and home on back-to-back balks by the Jumbos starting pitcher Connor Kinney. Kinney and Tufts were able to minimize the damage, escaping the first with a 3-1 lead.

Brown, who was very good on the mound for the Bucs, blanked the Jumbos in the second. In the bottom of the inning Perito brought Aten home with a sacrifice fly to center field to cut the deficit to one run, 3-2.

Brown and the cavalry of Tufts pitchers made quick work of the next two innings. Then, in the fifth, the Jumbos scored a run on a sacrifice fly. Fleischer came across for the second time and Tufts once again led by two. 

The Pitchers battle was still going strong, neither team scored in the sixth or seventh, though the Bucs did threaten getting runners into scoring position on multiple occasions, usually with two outs. In the top of the eighth, Tufts opened their lead to four, scoring twice, again on a sac fly to right and then ona a sac bunt back to the pitcher Brown. 

Down 6-2 and down to their last six offensive outs, the Bucs weren't able to score in the eighth. Tufts added insurance in the top of the ninth. The Bucs went down in order in the bottom of the frame and the Jumbos took the win, 7-2.

What's Next

The buccaneers will host Framingham State on Friday at 4pm at Hendy field in the first of three games between the teams on MASCAC opening weekend.