April 19, 2007

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BABSON PARK, Mass. - Junior Sam Whelan (Milton, Mass.) struck out 10 in seven strong innings to lead the Babson College baseball team to a 4-2 victory over nationally-ranked Wheaton College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) matchup at Govoni Field on Thursday afternoon.

With their ninth win in their last 11 games, the Beavers improved to 17-9 overall and 5-5 in the conference. Wheaton, ranked seventh in the country in the most recent ABCA Division III national poll, dropped to 21-8 overall and 8-3 in the NEWMAC. Despite the loss, the Lyons remained in first place in the conference standings and can clinch the regular season title with a win over WPI tomorrow afternoon.

Thursday's game featured two of the top pitchers in the NEWMAC, as Whelan and Wheaton senior Joe White (Bedford, N.H.) sported matching 4-1 records coming into the contest. Both hurlers cruised through the first three innings, with each allowing just two singles. However, several lengthy at-bats by the Lyons forced Wojnar to work harder for his early outs, as the junior righty threw 49 pitches through the first three frames. In addition to his seven strikeouts during that span, Whelan also received some key defensive help from first-year third baseman Jake Bartlett (Weymouth, Mass.), who made a magnificent play to rob senior co-captain Brandon Leonard's (Brockton, Mass.) of extra bases in the third. With two outs and a runner at first, the Beavers' rookie made a diving backhanded stab on a rocket down the line and threw Leonard out from his knees, with senior first baseman Ryan Campbell (Manchester, N.H.) providing a nice scoop at the other end.

The Lyons finally snapped the scoreless tie with an unearned run in the top of the fourth, as junior Jake Yagjian (Brewster, Mass.) reached on an error to start the inning. Whelan retired the next two batters, but senior co-captain Adam Laplante (Harwich, Mass.) singled to left with two outs to move Yagjian to second. Sophomore Nick Pecora (Highland Park, N.J.) then drove in the game's first run with an opposite field flair that dropped in front of charging left fielder Andrew Nodine (Portland, Maine).

Babson came right back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, with junior Matt Delaney (Newton, Mass.) providing the spark when he blasted White's second pitch of the inning off the scoreboard in left for his first home run of the season. Two batters later, Campbell singled up the middle and, after White recorded the inning's second out, took second on a wild pitch. Perhaps the biggest play of the game followed, as a dropped foul pop-up gave new life to sophomore DH Jeff Wojnar (Bellaire, Texas), who eventually drew a walk. Nodine then ripped a double to right center, scoring Campbell from second and Wojnar all the way from first to put Babson in front, 3-1.

After pitching around a leadoff single by Wheaton sophomore Karl Olson (Bethel, Maine) in the fifth, Whelan ran into trouble again in the sixth. Sophomore Robert Foote (Walpole, Mass.) singled to center with one out, but was erased on a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Laplante that featured another great backhand play by Bartlett. Laplante then stole second and scored on a single down the right field line by Pecora, cutting the Beavers' lead to 3-2. A single to center by senior Jeff Martin (Marblehead, Mass.) moved the tying run to third, but Whelan caught Olsen looking for his ninth strikeout to escape further damage.

Babson tacked on a key insurance run against sophomore reliever Adam Gingras (Woonsocket, R.I.) in the seventh. Senior Andrew Collins (South Boston, Mass.) led off with a single to left, moved all the way to third on a errant throw to first on a sacrifice bunt attempt by senior tri-captain Billy Schmitt (Fairview, N.J.), and scored on a passed ball.

Whelan came out to start the eighth but lasted just one batter, as junior Scott Guillerault (South Portland, Maine) reached on an infield single to start the inning. Junior Jeff Musante (Woodbridge, Conn.) came on in relief and retired three straight, including a deep fly out to right by Pecora that was hauled in at the wall by junior Steve Tahmoush (Arlington, Mass.) to end the frame. Musante then surrendered a leadoff single to left by Martin in the ninth before giving way to first-year closer Dave Ahern (Bedford, Mass.), who quickly retired the next two hitters. With two down and a runner on first, Leonard hit a slicing line drive to left, but Nodine capped off Babson's stellar defensive performance with a tremendous lunging catch going hard to his right to end the contest.

Whelan improved to 5-1 with the win, as he allowed two runs - one earned - on nine hits while fanning 10 in seven-plus innings. Musante and Ahern each added scoreless innings of relief, with Ahern picking up his fourth save of the season. Campbell and Tahmoush each went 2-fo-4 to pace the Beavers' offense.

White (4-2) took the loss for the Lyons, despite allowing just one earned run on seven hits in six innings of work. The senior righthander also walked one, struck out one, and threw a wild pitch. Martin led all players with a game-high three hits in four at-bats, while Pecora and Guillerault each went 2-for-4.