VIRGINIA BEACH -- Virginia Wesleyan College's baseball Marlins produced double-digit hits for the eighth time in 11 games on Sunday, but could not come up with the big hit at the end.

Tufts University's Jumbos scored a run with the help of a wild pitch in the top of the ninth inning to take a 12-11 lead at Marlins Field and then held off Virginia Wesleyan's final efforts to take the non-conference victory.

Rookie Justin Erby (Norfolk/Lake Taylor) led off the ninth by reaching base on an errror and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brandon Lineberry (Hillsville/Carroll County). Erby reached third, but that's where it ended as the Jumbos came up with the outs to end the threat.

Rain, sleet, and snow failed to end the contest, which featured timely hitting from start to finish.  Tufts (11-1) jumped out to 6-1 lead and saw that cut to 6-5 when the Marlins (9-14) scored four times in the bottom of the second inning.  VWC took a 7-6 lead with two runs in the bottom of the third, helped by singles from rookies Clay Walker (South Hill/Park View), Erby, and Nic Kurz (Yorktown/Grafton).

A Connor McDavitt (Holden, Mass./Wachusett) two-run triple in the top of the fifh inning helped give the Jumbos an 8-7 lead, but not for long.  The Marlins tied the score in the same inning after Erby singled to center field and scored when Lineberry smacked a double to right.

After pitcher Brooks Kirby (Warwickshire, United Kingdom/Cobham School) and the VWC defense held Tufts scoreless in the top of the sixth, the Marlins took the lead in the bottom of the inning.  Rookie Chris Gilliam (Mechanicsville/Hanover) drew a walk and scored shortly thereafter when Cameron Young (Atlanta, Ga./Dunwoody) lifted a home run over the left center field fence to push VWC into a 10-8 advantage. Walker followed with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by rookie Austin Gammon (Chesterfield/Lloyd C. Bird). Consecutive wild pitches sent him to third and to home, increasing the VWC advantage to 11-8.

Tufts was held hitless in its next at-bat, but came through with four hits in the top of the eight to score three runs to make it an 11-11 game. Mike Barry (Sudbury, Mass./Deerfield Academy) produced the big hit, a two-run single through the left side.

The Jumbos took the lead in the top of the ninth, with two outs. Wade Hauser (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) followed the second out by reaching base on an error. Harry Brown (Beverly, Mass./Beverly) drew a walk a wild pitch sent Hauser to third. Minutes later another wild pitch sent Hauser home for what turned out to be the winning run.

Virginia Wesleyan finished with a 15-13 edge in hits, led by Walker and Erby with three each. Zach Bach (Virginia Beach/Frank W. Cox) knocked out a pair of doubles.  Six Tufts players recorded two hits each, led by Max Freccia (Stamford, Conn./Fairfield Prep) with two doubles.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Wednesday, March 26, in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play in a single game at Randolph-Macon College beginning at 3:30 p.m.

--AMDG--