PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.—Graduate student Luke Tanner (Los Angeles, Calif.) and senior Brant Savage (Charlton, Mass.) both homered and graduate student Greg Nieskens (Pine Brook, N.J.) pitched seven strong innings to help Babson College defeat Heidelberg University, 7-2, in non-conference baseball action on Friday afternoon in Port Charlotte, Fla. 

With the win, Babson improves to 1-3 on the year. Heidelberg, which has lost just twice over its last eight games, slips to 7-3 overall. 

Savage went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI, Tanner was 2-for-4 with two RBI and graduate student John Nowak (Pelham, N.Y.) singled twice and knocked in a pair of runs to lead the Beavers. Nieskens (1-0) struck out five and gave up just one run on four hits over 7.0 innings to record his first win of the season. 

Sophomore Braedy Limke (Rochester Hills, Mich.) went 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Student Princes. Junior Corbin Caplan (Westerville, Ohio) started and took the loss on the mound after giving up five runs on six hits while striking out three over 5.0 innings to drop to 1-2 on the year. 

The Green and White wasted little time jumping in front as Savage reached with an infield single and Tanner followed with a two-run blast to left for a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Senior Tanner Santos (Bethany, Conn.) got plunked to lead off the third and came around to score on Nowak's two-out single to right, and the Beavers extended their advantage to 5-0 with two more runs in the fifth as Savage knocked in Santos with a double before scoring on Nowak's RBI ground out. 

Heidelberg finally broke through in the top of the seventh as Linke singled and advanced to third on a two-base throwing error before scoring on graduate student Aidan Corrigan's (Saline, Mich.) ground out to second. Savage atoned for his error by leading off the bottom of the seventh with his third homer of the season and Tanner walked and later scored on a wild pitch extending Babson's lead to 7-1. 

Nieskens, who didn't allow more than one base runner in any of the first six innings, picked off a pair of runners and took advantage of two double players. Graduate student Zach Magee (Indianapolis, Ind.) escaped a bases-loaded jam unscathed in the eighth with a line out and a strikeout and fanned four in two innings of relief for the Beavers. 

Babson returns to action on Saturday when it takes on No. 7 Denison at 1 p.m. and No. 3 Baldwin Wallace at 4:30 p.m., while Heidelberg faces Kean on Friday at 4 p.m. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are 2-1 all-time against Heidelberg. 
•    Friday's contest was a rematch of a 2019 College World Series elimination game between the teams, which saw Babson score five runs in the bottom of the ninth to edge the Student Princes, 6-5. 
•    Savage extended his hitting streak to five games, while Santos has reached base safely in eight consecutive outings. 
•    The Beavers are 13-2 going back to the start of last season when allowing two runs or fewer.