BOX SCORE

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Sophomore pitcher Andrew Aizenstadt (Norwell, Mass.) struck out 10 in a complete-game victory and first-year catcher Sean Cleary (Milton, Mass.) had a grand slam and five RBIs to lead the eighth-seeded Babson College baseball team to a 10-6 upset win over top-seeded host Eastern Connecticut State University in game two of the NCAA Division III Tournament Double-Elimination New England Regional on Wednesday afternoon.

It was the first-ever NCAA Tournament victory for the Beavers (23-18), who are making the second national tourney appearance in program history. Babson will now play fellow New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foe WPI, seeded fourth in the eight-team bracket, in game seven of the tournament on Thursday at approximately 4:30 p.m.

Making its 30th NCAA Tournament appearance, ECSU (35-7) sees its season-long 14-game winning streak snapped, as well as its 15-game winning streak in NCAA New England Regional Championship play. The Warriors, who entered the week ranked third in the nation, will now take on fifth-seeded Suffolk University in an elimination game on Thursday morning at 10 a.m.

Aizenstadt went all nine innings on the hill for Babson, giving up six runs on 14 hits, walking two, hitting a batter, and striking out 10. The victory improved his season record to 8-1, tying the program's single-season mark for victories. The 10 strikeouts also give him 71 for the year, placing him second among the Beavers' single-season leaders.

Pacing the Babson offense were senior co-captain Bryan Evans (Bellaire, Texas), who went 4-for-5 with a run scored, and Cleary, who finished 2-for-5 with a grand slam, one run scored, and five RBIs. Sophomore Billy Besinger (Milton, Mass.) also went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and one driven in, while first-year Travis Jonasson (Needham, Mass.) knocked in a pair and scored a run.

ECSU received three hits apiece from junior John Parke (Middlefield, Conn), who finished 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI, and junior Melvin Castillo (Danbury, Conn.), who went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. First-year Steve Cammuso (Rutland, Mass.) came on as a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning and went 2-for-3 with a double, a run, and an RBI, sophomore Robert Perry (Manchester, Conn.) and junior Joe Cousineau (Newington, Conn.) each added two hits, and senior Tristan Hobbes (Utica, N.Y.) added one hit, one run, and two RBIs.

The first of five Warrior pitchers, junior starter Matt Fontaine (Cranston, R.I.) suffered just his second defeat of the season after allowing six runs, all earned, on six hits, walking one and striking out two. The loss dropped his record to 6-2 on the year. Junior reliever Mike Tingley (Rockville, Conn.) came on and allowed three earned runs on two hits and a walk without retiring a batter, and senior James Kukucka (Vernon, Conn.) pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up one run on two hits, one walk, two hit batsmen, and one strikeout. Junior lefthander Wes Dutton (Waterbury, Conn.) kept ECSU in the game with 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, scattering three hits, hitting two batters, and fanning one, and junior righty Chris Wojick (Uncasville, Conn.) got the final four outs, all on strikeouts, while walking one.

Babson jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first, beginning when junior Peter O'Toole (Salem, Mass.) reached on an infield single up the middle. Besinger followed with a hard-hit single to center, and two batters later Evans hit another infield single up the middle to load the bases with one out. Junior Brian Scanlon (Lawrenceville, N.J.) then lofted a sacrifice fly to left to plate O'Toole with the game's first run, and Cleary knocked in Besinger with a two-out, seeing-eye single up the middle to make it a 2-0 game.

The Beavers blew the game open with seven runs in the second inning, highlighted by a two-run single by Jonasson and a grand slam by Cleary. Bartlett walked to begin the frame and then beat the throw to second on a fielder's choice sac bunt by Highfield. After a strikeout, Besinger notched his team-leading 21st multi-hit game of the season with a single to left, and on the play Bartlett bowled over the ECSU catcher to dislodge the ball and score the game's third run. Jonasson followed with a tremendous 11-pitch at-bat that culminated with a line drive single to left that scored two more runs and knocked Fontaine from the contest. Tingley immediately surrendered a single to Evans and a walk to Scanlon before Cleary cleared the bases with a grand slam over the wall in left. It was the first career home run for the rookie catcher, giving the Beavers a commanding 9-0 advantage.

After hitting into double plays in each of the first three innings, Eastern Connecticut State finally broke through against Aizenstadt with five runs in the bottom of the fourth. After sophomore Jim Schult (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch to start the inning, senior Shawn Gilblair (Windham, Conn.) hit a ringing RBI double off the wall in center to plate ECSU's first run of the game. A single by Castillo and a passed ball then put runners at second and third for Hobbes, who knocked in two more with a single up the middle. Another hit and a walk loaded the bases for the Warriors, and pinch-hitter Cammuso followed with a base hit up the middle, scoring two more and cutting Babson's lead to 9-5.

The Beavers added another run in the top of the fifth, as Bartlett was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore Corey Highfield (East Hampstead, N.H.) then hit a double over the head of leftfielder Perry to score Bartlett with Babson's 10th run of the contest, but Dutton came out of the bullpen to retire the top three batters in the Babson order to escape further damage.

After settling down to toss scoreless frames in the fifth, sixth, and seventh, Aizenstadt ran into trouble again in the bottom of the eighth. Cammuso belted a two-out double off the wall in right center and then scored on a line drive single to left by Parke. However, that would be as close as the Warriors would get, as Aizenstadt fanned the final batter of the eighth and then retired the heart of the ECSU lineup in order in the ninth to secure the 10-6 victory.