April 5, 2007

Box Score

BABSON PARK, Mass. - The Babson College baseball team scored six runs in the first two innings on its way to a 7-4 victory over visiting Johnson & Wales University in a non-conference matchup at Govoni Field on Thursday afternoon. With the win, the Beavers upped their season mark to 9-7, while the Wildcats slipped to 10-12.

Babson began the day with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, including two on a clutch two-out, bases-loaded single to right by junior Andrew Nodine (Portland, Maine). Johnson and Wales got one back on an RBI double to right center by junior Chad Miller in the top of the second, but the Beavers answered with three more in the bottom half of the inning. Sophomore Jeff Wojnar (Bellaire, Texas) singled in junior Steve Tahmoush (Arlington, Mass.) with the first run and later scored on a two-base throwing error. Senior tri-captain Ryan Campbell (Manchester, N.H.) also came home on the miscue as Babson built a commanding 6-1 lead.

The Beavers added another run on Wojnar's second RBI hit of the afternoon to make it 7-1, and sophomore starter Pete Bizinkauskas (Duxbury, Mass.) carried that lead into the seventh with a stellar pitching performance. The second-year righthander allowed just one earned run on three hits, walking two and striking out four, in 6 2/3 innings before giving way to first-year lefty Michael O'Brien Shrewsbury, Mass.) in the seventh.

After pitching his way out of trouble in the seventh, O'Brien ran into some more in the eighth, as the Wildcats sandwiched two singles between a pair of free passes to plate their second run of the day. First-year Dave Ahern (Bedford, Mass.) then came on with the bases loaded and no outs and immediately induced a doubleplay grounder to short, allowing Miller to score from third to make it 7-3. Johnson and Wales would get one more run when junior Mike MacKay (Pawtucket, R.I.) came home on a passed ball, but Ahern recorded a big strikeout to get out of the inning. The Wildcats would go quietly in the ninth against the rookie reliever, who notched his second save of the season. Bizinkauskas picked up the win to improve to 1-0 on the year.

Tahmoush went 2-for-4 with two runs scored for Babson, while Wojnar went 2-for-2 with a run and two RBIs. Junior Matt Delaney (Newton, Mass.) and Campbell each scored twice in the win, while Nodine drove in a pair.

Miller was the only Wildcat with multiple hits, as he finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. MacKay also drove in a run and scored after recording a pinch-hit single in the eighth, and sophomore Frank Nadjavestky (Avenel, N.J.) added a hit and two runs scored in defeat. Senior captain Kyle O'Connor (West Warwick, R.I.) started and took the loss for Johnson and Wales, dropping his record to 0-2, while junior Greg Byron (West Kingston, R.I.) tossed four strong innings of relief, giving up one run on one hit.