Beavers Erase Four-Run Deficit for Seventh Consecutive Win
BABSON PARK, Mass.—Senior Eric Jaun (Loveland, Ohio) went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI, and No. 10/10 Babson College erased a four-run deficit on its way to defeating No. 3/4 University of Southern Maine, 9-8, in non-conference baseball action on Thursday afternoon at Govoni Field.
With its seventh consecutive win, Babson improves to 24-4 overall, while Southern Maine slips to 21-5 with its first loss in six outings.
Junior Sean Harrington (Walpole, Mass.) went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, while senior Brian McHale (Ramsey, N.J.) singled twice and scored once for the Beavers. Junior Matthew Valente (Wyckoff, N.J.) drove in a pair of runs and senior Nicholas Browne (Mount Laurel, N.J.) and juniors Jake Oliger (Newtown, Conn.) and Alex DiMartino (Mahwah, N.J.) chipped in with an RBI apiece in the victory.
Sophomore Ryan Vatcher (Ramsey, N.J.) earned his first career win with an inning of relief, while senior Max Tannenbaum (Coral Springs, Fla.) recorded his sixth save of the year for Babson.
Senior Devin Warren (Smithfield, Maine) went 3-for-4 with an RBI and became the 28th player in school history to surpass 200 hits with his single in the fifth for the Huskies. Seniors Jake Dexter (Oakland, Maine) and Zach Quintal (Eliot, Mass.), junior Andrew Hillier (Bangor, Maine) and sophomore Sam Troiano (South Portland, Maine) all homered in the loss.
Sophomore James Sinclair (Portland, Maine) settled for a no-decision after giving up five runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings, while Dexter (1-1) took the loss. He allowed a run on two hits in 1.2 innings for Southern Maine.
The teams traded blows in the first as Troiano hit a two-run homer to left before the Green and White answered back with a sacrifice fly by Oliger and an RBI double from Jaun to make it 2-2. Quintal blasted a two-run homer to left in the second, and Warren and Richard came through with RBI knocks in the fifth to push the Huskies' lead to 6-2.
Jaun hit a three-run bomb to get the Beavers back within one in the bottom of the fifth, only Hillier and Dexter jack solo homers in the top of the sixth as Southern Maine extended its advantage to 8-5. Babson loaded the bases with one out in the sixth and Valente greeted Dexter with a two-run single through the right side that cut the deficit to just one.
Browne lifted a single into shallow left to drive in Jaun with the tying run, and DiMartino legged out a ground ball to second to stayed out of a double play allowing Valente to score from third with the go-ahead run to make it 9-8. Junior William Gallagher (Kingston, N.Y.) retired the side in order in the seventh and sophomore Henry Leake (Burbank, Calif.) fanned two and worked around a leadoff walk in the eighth before Tannenbaum closed the door in the ninth.
First-year Andrew Garbarini (Lake Worth, Fla.) started for the Beavers giving up four runs on three hits and four walks in 3.1 innings.
Both teams are back in action on Friday as Babson opens a three-game series against Emerson at 2 p.m. in Danvers, Mass., while Southern Maine travels to Castleton for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
GAME NOTES
• The Beavers are now 7-11-1 all-time against Southern Maine and the teams have split their last four meetings.
• Babson is 7-0 this spring and has won 10 consecutive games decided by a single run last year's 4-3 10-innings loss to the Huskies on April 19.
• The Beavers are now 3-4 this season against nationally-ranked opponents.
• Babson is now 22-3 at Govoni Field since the start of last season.