AUBURN, N.Y – In game six of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, Auburn, N.Y. Regional, #5 seed Tufts jumped ahead immediately in the bottom of the first, never looking back, as the Jumbos (14-6) topped #3 seed Keystone (22-5), 8-2 in a battle of 1-0 teams in the regional.
 
In the first inning, Tufts continued its offensive push. After scoring 21 runs in its opening contest, the Jumbos brought three runs across in the bottom of the frame to take the early lead.
 
After a scoreless second, Tufts scored in each inning from the third to the sixth, bringing a total of five runs across the plate to up its lead to 8-0.
 
Keystone's best opportunities to cut the deficit came in the fifth and sixth inning, putting a runner at second base in each frame with just one out, but the runner would make it no further and the deficit stayed as is.
 
The Giants finally broke through in the top of the eighth inning with two outs, when junior Vince Montone (Oak Ridge, N.J./Jefferson Township) belted a two-run home run to make the score its eventual final, 8-2.
 
Junior Nathan Hinkley (Bradenton, Fla./Saint Lucie West Centennial) got the start for Keystone, and in the loss, allowed six runs (five earned), five hits, three walks and struck out one in four innings.
 
Junior's Decker Quintana (Ogden, Utah.), Sam Beadle (Canton, Conn./Canton) and senior Carlos Benoit (Brooklyn, N.Y.) combined for four relief innings, allowing two runs, two hits, five walks and a strikeout combined amongst the trio.
 
Cameron Mayer took the victory for the Jumbos, throwing a complete game, allowing two runs, seven hits, one walk and struck out 12.
 
Offensively, Montone (3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) and sophomore Chris Hasdall (2-for-4) combined for five of the Giants hits in the game, while senior Larry Sims (Winona, MISS.) and freshman Seth Brizel (Tamarac, Fla./J.P. Taravella) had one each.
 
Keystone now must quickly turnaround and plays with its season on the line against #6 Merchant Marine Academy at 4:30 p.m. today.