THE BASICS:
 
- Records: MIT (1-4); Tufts University (1-0)
 
- Scores: Tufts University 7, MIT 6
 
- Location: Medford, Mass. (Sol Gittleman Park)
 
- The Lead: In the first game played at Sol Gittleman Park, the MIT baseball team dropped a 7-6 final to Tufts University as the Jumbos scored twice in the ninth inning for the one-run, non-conference victory.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- In the top of the opening frame, first-year Zev Moore (Jerusalem, Israel) led off with a walk before moving to second on a failed pickoff attempt and scoring on a single to center by senior Kyle Sonandres (Torrance, Calif.). Leading off the bottom of the second, Clay Sowell launched a deep solo homer to left and tied the game at 1-1.
 
- The Engineers regained the lead in the top of the third as Sonandres homered down the left field line with one out for the 2-1 edge. That was immediately answered in the bottom of the third when Jackson Duffy homered to deep left to score three runs and give Tufts the lead at 4-2. Henry Fleckner added an RBI double to left center for the next Jumbos run as the hosts took a 5-2 advantage to the fourth.
 
- MIT put up a three-run inning in the top of the fourth behind a pair of hits that included a pair of run-scoring fielder's choices and a Sonandres RBI single to left that tied the game at 5-5 with two outs.
 
- Behind 4.1 innings of three-hit scoreless relief by MIT first-year Chase Rubin (Arlington, Va.), the score remained that way until the top of the eighth when senior first baseman Graham Cartwright (La Jolla, Calif.) launched a towering solo home run to left that gave the Engineers the lead again at 6-5.
 
- In the bottom of the ninth, the Jumbos tied the game on a two-out, bases-loaded error on a failed pickoff attempt that scored Connor Bowman. After a walk to reload the bases, Sowell came home on a hit by pitch for the game-winning run and 7-6 final.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Sonandres led MIT with a three-hit, three-RBI performance, while Sowell and Duffy each had two hits for the Jumbos.
 
- Rubin struck out four with no walks in his 4.1 innings, along with 0.2 scoreless innings by sophomore Ethan Siegel (Austin, Texas). First-year Matthew Spenner (Arlington, Va.) took the loss as he allowed two unearned runs with three strikeouts to fall to 0-1 on the season.
 
- Connor Podeszwa was the third and final pitcher for Tufts, going five innings and allowing three and one run with eight strikeouts and a walk to improve to 1-0.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- MIT is scheduled to return to action on Saturday, March 11th as the Engineers will take on Brandeis University for an 11 a.m. start in a game at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.
 
STAY CONNECTED:
 
- For the latest on MIT Athletics, follow the Engineers via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.