Northboro, MA --- George Crowley (Watertown, MA) batted 2-for-3, including a pair of RBI doubles, as Babson completed the season sweep of WPI with a 5-1 victory in a NEWMAC cross-divisional baseball matchup on Monday at the New England Baseball Complex.
Babson induced 17 ground outs, including nine hit to Adam Ayala (Franklin Lakes, NJ) at short while Jack Halpin (Glastonbury, CT) came up with several nice scoops at first. WPI rolled 11 grounders for a total of 28 between the two squads. Nick Comei (Haverhill, MA) paced the Engineers with six helpers at short.
The first 11 batters of the game were retired in order before Ryan Arena (Yorktown Heights, NY) walked in the bottom of the second. He was promptly plated by Crowley for the early 1-0 Babson edge. The Beavers added two more in the third courtesy of a wild pitch and a passed ball.
DJ Ouellette (Watertown, CT) notched the first WPI hit of the afternoon with a first pitch homerun in the top of the fifth. Babson tacked on another run in the seventh on Crowley's second RBI double of the day. Dillon Gonzalez (Beverly, MA) drove in the final run of the contest with a single up the middle in the eighth.
The Engineers left a runner aboard in each of the final frames, including a pair of two out singles by Sean Kelly (Shrewsbury, MA) and Alex Venditti (Newton, MA). Vendetti also walked with one out in the seventh.
Aidan Freeburg (Billerica, MA) (2-2) allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits with a trio of strikeouts in six-plus innings of work. Mike Vaitkunas (Auburn, MA) yielded one run (zero earned) on two hits in the final two frames.
Nick Ahearn (Norfolk, MA) (1-1) surrendered only two hits, struck out three and walked one in the first eight innings. Brett Ender (Skillman, NJ) completed the game for the Beavers.
The Engineers (10-9, 1-4 NEWMAC) close out March with a 3:30pm NEWMAC matchup versus Emerson tomorrow at the New England Baseball Complex. Babson (8-5, 4-1 NEWMAC) is slated to resume action on April 2nd with a 3:30pm home game against Plymouth State.