Babson Park, MA --- Freshman Mark Bentson (Brewster, NY) went five strong innings on the mound and classmate Alex Vendetti (Newton, MA) belted a three-run homer as visiting WPI took the opening game of a NEWMAC doubleheader against Babson 5-1 on Saturday afternoon. The host Beavers bounced back with a 12-5 victory in the nightcap to take two out of three from the Engineers in the weekend series. Babson is now 2-1 overall and 2-1 in NEWMAC play while WPI drops to 5-9 overall and 1-2 in the conference.
The Engineers picked up a victory to open the day as Bentson and sophomore Taylor Landry(Kennebunk, ME) combined to give up just four hits and a single run over seven innings to snap a five-game losing streak. Bentson earned his third win of the season, allowing just three hits in five innings before giving way to Landry, who closed the door on his second save of the season, working out of a two-on, no-out jam in the seventh before inducing a two-out, bases-loaded groundout to end the game.
WPI got all the offense they would need in the third inning as first-years Vinny D'Ambrosio (Mahopac, NY) and Anthony Capuano (Stoneham, MA) led off the inning with walks, setting the table for classmate Vendetti (Newton, MA), who drilled his third home run of the season over the right field wall for a 3-0 advantage. Junior David Trujillo (Sutton, MA) plated Capuano with an RBI single in the fifth inning to push the lead to 4-0, and after Babson answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, Capuano scored for the third time on the day when first-year D.J. Ouellette (Watertown, MA) hit a two-out single through the left side for the final margin.
Junior Derek Richards (Framingham, MA) took the loss for the Beavers, giving up four runs on seven hits, while striking out two and walking five. Sophomore Dillon Gonzalez (Beverly, MA) drove in the only run of the game for Babson as McPhee scored on his sacrifice fly after reaching with a lead-off single.
In the nightcap, Gonzalez collected three hits and drove in two runs while junior Michael Bortolotti (Milton, MA) tossed six scoreless innings in his first start since 2011 as Babson earned the split with a 12-5 triumph.
Seniors Conor Kortmann (Manalapan, NJ) and Pat Matvichuk (Middleton, MA), sophomoreSean McPhee (Framingham, MA) and first-year George Crowley all had two hits and two runs batted in for the Beavers. Senior Chris Kucher (Westwood, MA) had a pair of hits and scored three runs as Babson pounded out 15 hits, five of which went for extra bases in game two.
After being held hitless over the first two innings of the day's second game, the Beavers broke through in the bottom of the third inning, stringing together five hits to forge a 3-0 lead. Matvichuk hit a one-out single up the middle and scored just one pitch later as Gonzalez doubled to right field to plate the game's first run. Gonzalez was thrown out at third base trying to stretch his double into a triple, but Babson's rally continued with two outs as seniorMichael Duffy (Milton, MA) doubled down the right field line, Kucher drew a two-out walk, and Kortmann and Crowley came through with back-to-back singles to add to the lead.
The Beavers put the game out of reach in the sixth inning, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six runs. Matvichuk singled home sophomore Joe Zanca (Braintree, MA), McPhee, Gonzalez and Kucher added RBI doubles, and Kortmann and Crowley wrapped up the inning with RBI singles to push the lead to 9-0, giving Bortolotti and first-year Brody Loughlin(Rockland, MA) all the cushion they would need.
The junior right-hander who missed all of 2012 with an injury gave up just a pair of singles while striking out seven and walking four before giving way to Loughlin, who gave up just one earned run over the final three innings. First-year Craig Teed (Stratham, N.H.) took the loss for WPI, giving up eight earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Matt Blakeman (Bedford, NH) was the Engineers only repeat hitter in game two while Shane Sampson (Worcester, MA) crossed home plate twice for the Crimson and Gray.
Babson will play its next six games in Winter Haven, FL, starting with a doubleheader against Trinity (CT) on Tuesday at 11:00am. WPI will travel to Providence, RI for a matchup with Johnson & Wales University on Wednesday.
Release Courtesy Babson Sports Information