April 26, 2007

Box Score

BABSON PARK, Mass. - Babson College scored seven unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and junior Sam Whelan (Milton, Mass.) earned his sixth win of the season as the fourth-seeded Beavers defeated fifth-seeded Clark University, 9-6, in the quarterfinal round of the 2007 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Baseball Tournament at Govoni Field on Thursday afternoon.

With the win, Babson (21-10) advances to Saturday's double-elimination portion of the tourney at Wheaton, where they will face the host Lyons in the opening game at 11 a.m. With a win, the Beavers would remain at Wheaton for their second game, while a loss would bring them back to their home field for an elimination contest.

Babson jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as sophomore Jeff Wojnar (Bellaire, Texas) sent a Matt Tillo (Osterville, Mass.) offering over the wall in left for his first collegiate home run. However, Clark (13-19) answered with a pair of runs off Whelan in the top of the second, as junior Cole Osburn (Mendon, Mass.) and senior Joe Pasciucco (Attleboro, Mass.) recorded back-to-back RBI singles with two outs to put the Cougars in front, 2-1.

It remained a one-run game until the bottom of the fourth, when Babson erupted for seven runs to build an 8-2 advantage. After sophomore Bryan Evans (Bellaire, Texas) doubled with one out, Clark committed two consecutive errors -- the first of which allowed Evans to score to tie the game at 2-2. Senior tri-captain Andrew Collins (South Boston, Mass.) then ripped an RBI-double down the left field line to put Babson in front to stay, and fellow senior tri-captain Billy Schmitt (Fairview, N.J.) followed with his first home run of the season -- a three-run shot over the wall in right center that gave the home team a 6-2 lead. Junior Matt Delaney (Newton, Mass.) later drove in classmate Steve Tahmoush (Arlington, Mass.) with the Beavers' sixth run of the inning, and Evans capped off the rally that he started by singling in Delaney to make it 8-2.

Clark refused to go quietly, plating two more runs in the top of the fifth to cut its deficit to 8-4. Pasciucco and senior Kyle Breidenstine (Shomakersville, Pa.) recorded back-to-back single to start the frame and, after a sac bunt moved them into scoring position, senior Nicholas Tapper (Hopkinton, Mass.) drove in a run with a base hit to left. A balk by Whelan allowed the second run to score, but the junior righthander got the final two hitters to escape further damage.

The Cougars got another run back when Pasciucco reached on a error and later scored on a doubleplay grounder in the seventh, but Babson added an insurance run the following inning when Evans singled in junior pinch-runner Andrew Nodine (Portland, Maine) to make it 9-5. Clark then scored its final run in the top of the ninth when Pasciucco came home on a groundout, but first-year reliever Dave Ahern (Bedford, Mass.) got the final hitter to fly harmlessly to right to cap off Babson's 9-6 victory.

Evans had a huge day for the Beavers, going 4-for-5 with a run and two RBIs to pace his team's 14-hit attack. Schmitt, Tahmoush, Delaney, and Wojnar added two hits apiece for Babson, while Whelan struck out seven in 8 1/3 innings to improve to 6-1.

For Clark, Pasciucco went 4-for-5 with two runs and one RBI, while Breidenstine, Osburn, and junior Matthew Adams (Jackson Heights, N.Y.) chipped in with two hits apiece.Tillo suffered the loss to drop to 1-3 after giving up eight runs - only one of which was earned - in 3 1/3 innings.