NORTHBORO, Mass. – Tufts and Bowdoin split a NESCAC East Division baseball double-header on Friday with Bowdoin winning the opener 6-1 and Tufts taking the nightcap 6-0.

The games were played on turf at the New England Baseball Complex (NEBC). Tufts (10-4, 1-1 NESCAC East) and the Polar Bears (6-9, 1-1) play the third and final game of their series on Monday night at the NEBC. Game time is 7 pm.

Henry Van Zant tossed a complete game in the seven-inning opener, not allowing an earned run or a walk while giving up four hits and striking out three. Andrew David pitched a six-hit shutout, the third of his career and first since his freshman season in 2013. He struck out five and did not walk a batter in the second game of the twinbill.

Van Zant retired the first seven Jumbos he faced until Tom Petry singled through the left side in the third. He was erased on a double-play ball. Meanwhile, Bowdoin took a 1-0 lead off Tufts starter Tim Superko in the second. Cole DiRoberto led off with a single to right and moved to third on a walk and a sacrifice. Peter Cimini's sacrifice fly brought him home.

Superko settled in and retired the next 10 batters. The game remained 1-0 through five. Tufts' Matt Moser had doubled down the first-base line with one out in the fifth, but did not score. That was the only Jumbo who touched second in the first five innings against Van Zant.

Bowdoin broke the game open scoring five runs in the sixth. Aaron Rosen led off with a double to center. That started a rally during which Erik Jacobsen, Cimini and Chris Nadeau all singled home runs. Bowdoin had four hits in the inning and the other pair of runs scored on a fielder's choice and a sac fly.

Tufts scored its lone run in the top of the sixth when pinch hitter Bryan Egan took second on an error to lead off. He went to third on a ground ball and scored on an infield single by Cody McCallum.

Cimini had two RBI and DiRoberto scored twice for the Polar Bears. Moser was 2 for 3 for Tufts, while senior tri-captain Tom Ryan pitched 1.2 innings of one-hit, no-run relief.

In game two, McDavitt led off the bottom of the first with an opposite field home run to right. Tufts would add to its lead scoring a pair in the bottom of the third.
Will Glazier and James Howard then hit back-to-back doubles to the gaps scoring the fourth Tufts runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Aaron Rosen went 4 for 4 with four singles against David in game two. He got into scoring position in the first and third, but was left stranded.

The Jumbos padded their lead with two in the seventh. McDavitt led off with a single and McCallum was hit by a pitch. They scored on O'Hara's single through the right side and on Egan's infield single, respectively.