BABSON PARK, Mass.—Graduate student Greg Nieskens (Pine Brook, N.J.) and first-year Jason Finkelstein (Walpole, Mass.) combined to allow just one run over 15 innings to help Babson College sweep visiting Clark University in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) baseball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon Govoni Field. 

The Beavers won the opener 2-1 and defeated the Cougars, 4-0, in game two. Babson has won 10 consecutive games to improve to 13-6 overall and 6-0 in conference play, while Clark dips to 17-7 overall and 2-4 in the NEWMAC. 

Game 1: Babson 2, Clark 1
Nieskens struck out five and allowed just one run on three hits over 8.0 innings, while sophomore Zander Teator (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) needed just nine pitches to retire the side in the top of the ninth to improve to 2-1 on the year with the win for the Beavers. First-year Alexander Wilson (Millburn, N.J.) singled and drove in a run and senior Ike Kiely (Falmouth, Maine) singled and added a stolen base in the win. 

Graduate student Benjamin Spencer (New Holland, Pa.), who did not allow a hit over the first four frames, struck out five and gave up an unearned run and just four hits over 7.0 innings in a no-decision for the Cougars.

Clark broke a scoreless deadlock in the sixth as senior Billy Sullivan (Hicksville, N.Y.) walked with one out, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before coming into score on a sacrifice fly by graduate student Ryan Caulfield (Simsbury, Conn). The Green and White answered back in the bottom of the inning though as senior Jack Julian (Manchester, Mass.) drew a lead off walk and later scored from third on Wilson's RBI single to center.   

Babson left runners on the corners in the seventh and got the potential go-ahead run to second in the eighth before breaking through in the bottom of the ninth. Junior Justin Guest (West Windsor, N.J.) got plunked by sophomore Tommy Flaherty (London, England), classmate Walter Sadowsky (Morristown, N.J.) reached with a bunt single and sophomore Ryan Hvozdovic (Hillsborough, N.J.) walked to load the bases with nobody out. Flaherty induced a grounder to first from Kiely but the ball was misplayed allowing Guest to score the game-winning run. 

Game 2: Babson 4, Clark 0
Finkelstein struck out four and allowed just two hits and a walk over seven shutout innings to improve to 4-1 on the year. Senior Brant Savage (Charlton, Mass.) went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while classmate Tanner Santos (Bethany, Conn.) was 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the victory. 

First-year Brendan Bruun (Randolph, N.J.) gave up three runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings of relief after graduate student Casey Gorczyca (Boonton, N.J.) was forced out of the game due to an injury after giving up a run in the bottom of the first. He dropped to 3-3 on the year with the loss. 

Graduate student Luke Tanner (Los Angeles, Calif.) gave Babson the lead in the bottom of the first when he doubled to center to drive in Santos. First-year Dante D'Avanzo (Ashland, Mass.) led off the second with a single and scored on an infield single by Julian two batters later, while Kiely doubled and later came home on an RBI ground out by Wilson to make it 3-0. 

The Beavers tacked on an insurance run int the last of the seventh as Santos singled with two outs and moved to second on a wild pitch before scoring on Savage's league-high 12th double of the season. Finkelstein retired the final five hitters he faced, senior Jimmy Weick (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) worked around a walk and a single in the eighth and graduate student Zach Magee (Indianapolis, Ind.) fanned two as part of a perfect ninth inning to close out the win.

Both teams return to action on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. as Babson wraps up its homestand against Hartford, while Clark hosts Salve Regina. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are 68-21 all-time against Clark and have won 11 straight games in the series. 
•    Eight of the last 13 contests between Babson and the Cougars have been decided by one or two runs. 
•    Babson is 8-0 this season at home and has gone 33-7 at Govoni Field since 2022.
•    The Beavers are 6-0 this spring when allowing two runs or fewer.