NORTON, Mass.—Senior Jack Julian (Manchester, Mass.) produced a two-run single in the top of the seventh and four pitchers combined on a four-hitter to help visiting Babson College defeat Wheaton College, 2-1, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) baseball action on Tuesday afternoon at Sidell Stadium. 

Babson, which has won two in a row and six of its last seven games, improves to 22-10 overall and 10-4 in conference play. Wheaton has dropped five of its last seven outings to slip to 17-12 overall and 10-6 in the NEWMAC. 

Graduate student Luke Tanner (Los Angeles, Calif.) and juniors Walter Sadowsky (Morristown, N.J.) and Justin Guest (West Windsor, N.J.) all finished with two hits apiece for the Beavers. First-year Jason Finkelstein (Walpole, Mass.) gave up one run on three hits to go along with four strikeouts over 6.1 innings to improve to 6-1 with the win, while sophomore Zander Teator (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) worked  perfect ninth to earn his third save. 

First-year Casey Wensley (Raynham, Mass.) was 2-for-4 with an RBI single, while senior Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) singled and walked for the Lyons. Junior Josh Fischer (Hopkinton, Mass.) struck out five and allowed just one run on five hits over 6.0 innings but fell to 0-4 on the year with the loss. 

Scoreless through six, Guest and Sadowsky recorded back-to-back singles to start the top of the seventh. They moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by senior Ike Kiely (Falmouth, Maine) and Wheaton intentionally walked sophomore Ryan Hvozdovic (Hillsborough, N.J.) to load bases for Julian, who came through with a single to left to give the Green and White a 2-0 lead. 

The Lyons halved their deficit thanks to a two-out single to left by Wensley in the bottom of the frame, but senior Tristen Spalter (Sergeantsville, N.J.) punched out Maher to strand a pair of runners while keeping the Beavers in front 2-1. Junior Luke McClintock (South Hamilton, Mass.) needed just 11 pitches to retire the side in the eighth and Julian made a diving catch in short left to start the ninth as part of Teator's one-two-three inning. 

Babson got a leadoff double from Tanner and a walk to first-year Dante D'Avanzo (Framingham, Mass.) but were unable to score when Tanner was gunned down at home to end the top of the first. Finkelstein worked around a pair of walks in the bottom of the inning and left the bases loaded with a strikeout in the bottom of the third to keep the game scoreless. The Beavers also got back-to-back singles from Tanner and D'Avanzo with one out in the top of the six before Fischer recorded consecutive strikeouts to escape the jam. 

Babson returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Springfield for a twin bill starting at 12 p.m., while Wheaton takes on UMass Dartmouth on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are 36-57 all-time against Wheaton and the teams have split their last six games going back to the end of last season.
•    Babson is now 5-3 on the year in one-run games and 9-3 in games decided by two runs or fewer. 
•    The Green and White improves to 8-0 this spring when giving up two runs or fewer. 
•    Finkelstein's six wins are the most by a Babson rookie since 2005 when Sam Whelan '08 recorded six victories.