March 29, 2007

Box Score

BABSON PARK, Mass. - Junior Jamie Morin (Goffstown, N.H.) tossed a four hit shutout to lead the visiting Keene State College Owls to a 2-0 win over host Babson College in non-conference baseball action at Govoni Field on Thursday afternoon. Keene State upped its season mark to 10-6 with the win, while the Beavers fell to 6-3.

The Owls plated the game's first run in the top of the third, as sophomore Jeff Perkins (Dunbarton, N.H.) led off the inning with a single to left of junior starter Robbie Leer (Edina, Minn.). Perkins then stole second, moved to third on a ground out by junior Joe Rousseau (Nashua, N.H.), and scored on a passed ball.

Keene State added to its lead in the top of the fifth, when sophomore James Chevalier (Amherst, N.H.) singled down the left field line and stole second. After Perkins drew a walk, Rousseau advanced both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Junior Ryan Jones (Nashua, N.H.) then hit an infield single that allowed Chevalier to scamper home with the Owls' second run of the afternoon.

That would prove to be more than enough for Morin, who was masterful on the mound for Keene State. The junior southpaw scattered four hits, a walk, and a hit batsman while striking out five in nine innings of work as he improved to 2-1 on the season. Babson's biggest threat came in the third, when senior tri-captain Andrew Collins (South Boston, Mass.) hit a one-out single, senior tri-captain Billy Schmitt (Fairview, N.J.) was hit by a pitch, and junior Matt Delaney (Newton, Mass.) drew a walk to load the bases. However, Morin induced a foul fly out to right and a pop out to the first baseman to escape unscathed.

Leer was also outstanding in his second start of the season, as he gutted out seven quality innings, allowing two runs -- one earned -- on six hits, walked four and struck out three. Sophomore Pete Bizinkauskas (Duxbury, Mass.) came on in the eighth and tossed two shutout innings of relief.

The Beavers return to action this weekend, when they host back-to-back NEWMAC doubleheaders. Babson hosts a twinbill with Coast Guard at noon on Saturday and then a make-up doubleheader against MIT at noon on Sunday.

BEAVER NOTES: Two Babson players extended hitting streaks on Thursday. First-year Jake Bartlett extended his hit streak to seven games and junior Steve Tahmoush pushed his to six contests. Collins and junior Andrew Nodine also collected hits for the Beavers... Despite taking the loss, Leer's seven-inning effort was huge for Babson, which hosts four conference games in two days this weekend. The Beavers were coming off a 16-6 loss to Plymouth State in which they used seven pitchers.