Northboro, MA --- Junior Brian McHale (Ramsey, NJ) batted 3-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored to lead Babson past WPI Tuesday in a NEWMAC baseball crossover game at the New England Baseball Complex. WPI junior Ryan Tropeano (Pembroke, MA) recorded his 100th career hit with a single in the ninth.
The Beavers improve to 8-7 overall and 1-2 in the NEWMAC while the Engineers slip to 7-10 and 0-3.
McHale cleared the fence with the second pitch of the game. Sophomore Matthew Valente (Wyckoff, NJ) then chased senior Ryan Arena (Yorktown Heights, NY) home with a sacrifice fly. Tropeano answered with a two-out solo blast to cut the home team's deficit to one after a complete inning. McHale deposited his second homer of the day in the snow pile just beyond the left field fence to begin a three-run second. Arena then cleared the aforementioned pile with a pair of outs and junior Eric Jaun (Loveland, OH) made it 5-2 with an RBI knock to center.
WPI cut it to one, this time with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second, as sophomore Tyrone Patterson (Upper Marlboro, MD) drove in two with a first-pitch hit up the middle. Sophomore Connor Gill (Sterling, MA) added to the Beavers lead with a run-producing single to right center in the top of the third. The guests pulled away with three in the fourth. The first was courtesy of an RBI single by Valente. With the bases loaded and two outs, McHale drove two in with a single to center before the other runner was out to end the inning.
Junior Tyler Weiss (Monroe, CT) faced the minimum in four of his six innings of relief. Sophomore David Larson (Port Tobacco, MD) handled the first three innings for the Crimson and Gray.
Babson junior Michael Genaro (Greenwich, CT) struck out six and walked one in his third win of the season. Junior Max Tannenbaum (Coral Springs, FL) and senior Matt Cuneo (Ashland, MA) each took an inning for Babson.
Jaun also had three hits for Babson to go with an RBI and a pair of runs scored. Arena (double, HR, RBI, 2 runs), Valente (sac fly, 2 RBI) and senior Matt DeMarte (Yorktown Heights, NY) all collected a pair of hits. Senior Mark Webber (Norwell, MA) doubled, stole a base and scored twice.
Tropeano finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Patterson pitched in with two hits and two RBI while freshman Jordan DeDonato (Danvers, MA) and junior Benjamin Chaffee (Franklin, MA) added a pair of hits for WPI.
The Engineers host Fitchburg State for a 3:30pm game Thursday at the New England Baseball Complex while the Beavers entertain Curry, also at 3:30pm Thursday.