BABSON PARK, Mass.—Graduate students Luke Tanner (Los Angeles, Calif.) and John Nowak (Pelham, N.Y.) both had two hits and combined to drive in four runs as Babson College defeated visiting Wheaton College, 6-4, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) baseball action on Tuesday afternoon at Govoni Field. 

Babson, which has won 15 of its last 18 games, improves to 18-9 overall and 8-3 in conference play. Wheaton, which has dropped three of its last four outings, dips to 15-9 overall and 9-4 in the NEWMAC. 

Tanner doubled and homered, senior Tanner Santos (Bethany, Conn.) was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored and classmate Ike Kiely (Falmouth, Maine) singled twice and drove in a run for the Beavers. First-year Jason Finkelstein (Walpole, Mass.) fanned six and gave up three runs over 5.0 innings to improve to 5-1 on the year with the win, while four relievers combined for eight strikeouts over the final four frames. 

Senior Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) went 2-for-5 with two RBI, junior Timmy Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) and first-year Casey Wensley (Raynham, Mass.) both had two hits and senior AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) doubled and scored twice to pace the Lyons. Sophomore Ben Oliveira (Somerset, Mass.) was chased after allowing four runs on six hits over 2.1 innings and dropped to 3-2 with the loss. 

Back-to-back doubles by Santos and Tanner and an RBI single by senior Brant Savage (Charlton, Mass.) gave the Green and White a 2-0 lead just three batters into the bottom of the first. Oliveira loaded the bases with consecutive walks and Kiely beat out an infield single to bring home Savage to make it 3-0 and Nowak came through with a two-out RBI single in the second to give the Beavers a four-run advantage. 

Wheaton cut its deficit to one in the top of the sixth thanks to a leadoff double by Guindon and RBI singles by Maher and Wensley. First-year Shawn Cali (East Taunton, Mass.) recorded the Lyons' fifth hit of the frame with a single to right but Tanner came up firing and cut down Wensley at the plate to keep Babson in front. 

Nowak produced his second two-out RBI of the game with a single to center drive in senior Jack Julian (Manchester, Mass.) in the bottom of the sixth to push the Beavers' lead back to 5-3 only to see Wheaton get back within a run thanks to Guindon's two-out RBI knock in the top of the seventh. 

Babson graduate student Zach Magee (Indianapolis, Ind.) escaped a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout in the top of the eighth and Tanner led off the bottom of the inning with a towering home run to left to make it 6-4. Sophomore Zander Teator (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) then struck out the side in the ninth to record his second save. 

The Beavers return to action on Wednesday when they host UMass Boston at 3:30 p.m., while the Lyons take on Tufts on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are 35-57 all-time against Wheaton and the teams have split their last four meetings going back to last year's NEWMAC Tournament. 
•    Babson is now 6-2 on the year in games decided by one or two runs. 
•    The Green and White is 14-1 this spring when allowing five runs or fewer. 
•    Savage extended his hitting streak to nine games, while Nowak and junior Justin Guest (West Windsor, N.J.) have now reached base safely in 16 and 14 straight games, respectively.