MEDFORD, Mass. – Tufts capitalized on three errors to score four runs in the sixth inning and rallied for a 6-2 win Sunday over Bowdoin in the championship game of the NESCAC baseball tournament.

The loss capped a busy day for the Polar Bears (25-15), who had to win two earlier games to reach the final. Bowdoin beat Wesleyan 14-7 in the completion of a game suspended in the fourth inning because of rain Saturday, then knocked out Williams with a 7-3 victory.

The Polar Bears took a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Tufts (31-5) on an RBI double by Matt Ruane. Ben Higgins blanked the Jumbos through five innings before running into trouble in the sixth.

Brett Gorman was 5 for 5 with five runs scored and three RBI in the suspended game, and Kevin Zikaras drove in four runs.

Zikaras also had two RBI against Williams, and Gorham had an RBI double. Tim Welch went the distance on the mound, despite giving up eight hits and nine walks.

MAINE SWEEPS HARTFORD: Joe Mercurio was 5 for 8 with three doubles, two homers, four runs and six RBI to lead the Black Bears (27-19, 11-6 America East) to 10-3 and 12-4 wins over the Hawks (9-31, 3-14) at West Hartford, Conn.

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Justin Leisenheimer was 3 for 5 with a triple, a home run, three runs and four RBI, and Michael Fransoso had a double, two triples, three runs and three RBI.

EASTERN CONNECTICUT SWEEPS USM: Shane Kingsley and Travis Bass each had five hits and combined for seven runs and 10 RBI as the Warriors (28-11, 10-4 Little East) totaled 33 hits in 21-1 and 12-9 wins over the Huskies (19-19, 6-8) at Gorham.

Mike Eaton was 2 for 5 with a home run for USM in the second game.

SOFTBALL

NESCAC TOURNAMENT: Bowdoin (33-12) won twice on the final day of the double-elimination NESCAC tournament before losing 10-1 to Wesleyan (23-16-1) in the championship game.

The Polar Bears set up a winner-take-all game by beating Wesleyan 5-2, after advancing to the championship round with a 6-0 victory over Williams.

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Kara Nilan pitched in all three games and didn’t give up an earned run in 17 innings, but the Cardinals scored eight unearned runs in the third inning of the championship game.

Amy Hackett hit a two-run homer against Williams, and Clare Ronan had a three-run homer in the second game.

STONY BROOK 3, MAINE 1: Brijette Martin hit a two-run homer in the sixth to lift the Seawolves (29-19-1, 10-7 America East) over the Black Bears (22-26, 11-7) at Stony Brook, N.Y.

Terren Hall hit her 13th home run of the season for the Black Bears in the first inning.

Maine, the No. 2 seed, will face Stony Brook again in its first game of the America East tournament, which starts Thursday in Orono.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

WILLIAMS 9, COLBY 4: The Ephs (12-6) scored six straight goals in the second half to defeat the Mules (13-4) in the NESCAC title game at Hartford, Conn.

Clare Donegan scored twice for Colby.

 


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