LEXINGTON, Ky.—Sophomore Ryan Liss (Hollywood, Fla.) scored the go-ahead run on passed ball in the top of the sixth inning and three relievers did not allow a hit over the final three frames as No. 30 ABCA Babson College defeated No. 26 Transylvania University, 5-3, in non-conference baseball action on Saturday evening at Legends Stadium. 

With the win, Babson improves to 2-0 on the year for the first time since 2022. Transylvania, which picked up its first win of the year over Hope earlier in the day, is now 1-3 overall. 

Liss went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, graduate student Brant Savage (Charlton, Mass.) singled twice and drove in a run, and classmate Thomas Parisi (Somers, N.Y.) doubled, walked twice and scored a run for the Beavers. Junior James Clark (Soutborough, Mass.) picked up the win allowing three runs on five hits to go along with two strikeouts over six innings, while the trio of senior Matt Milone (Amston, Mass.), classmate Luke McClintock (South Hamilton, Mass.) and junior Zander Teator (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) faced just one batter over the minimum over the final three innings. 

First-year Max Finn (Fortville, Ind.) went 2-for-3 with a home run, senior Austin Taylor (Louisville, Ky.) tripled and scored a run and junior Riley Hill (Rocky Mount, Va.) and sophomore Chris Hedinger (Jasper, Ind.) each drove in a run for the Pioneers. Senior Connor Arnold (Lexington, Ky.) settled for a no-decision after striking out seven and giving up two earned runs on four hits over five innings, while first-year Giancarlo Gonzalez (Lexington, Ky.) allowed a pair of unearned runs in two innings of relief and dropped to 0-1 with the loss. 

The Green and White loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first and took a 1-0 lead when Teator scored on an RBI ground out by sophomore Dante D'Avanzo (Ashland, Mass.). Transylvania jumped on top 2-1 in the bottom of the second as Taylor tripled to right center and scored on Hedinger's RBI ground out before Finn followed with a two-out homer to right. 

Parisi doubled and scored on an RBI single to center by Savage with one out in the top of the fifth and D'Avanzo reached thanks to a two-out error that allowed Teator to score as the Beavers regained a 3-2 lead. The Pioneers tied it in the bottom of the frame but Babson went back in front for good in the sixth as Liss led off with an infield single and later raced home on a two-out passed ball. 

Clark worked around a leadoff single in the sixth and Milone retired the side in order in the seventh before Liss led off the top of the eighth with a double and again came home on a passed ball for a 5-3 advantage. McClintock erased a leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth with an inning-ending double play and Teator worked around a one-out error in the ninth to record his seventh career save. 

Babson wraps up the weekend against No. 13/11 Baldwin Wallace at 10 a.m. on Sunday, while Transylvania will face the Yellow Jackets at 1 p.m. 

GAME NOTES
•    Saturday's contest was the first all-time between Babson and Transylvania. 
•    The Beavers are now 48-2 since the start of the 2023 campaign when leading after seven innings.
•    The Green and White is 15-4 going back to the start of last season in games decided by one or two runs. 
•    Babson is 23-3 dating back to the beginning of last season when scoring the first run of the game.