BABSON PARK, Mass.—Sophomore Ben Valente (Newton, Mass.) led all players with three hits, but Babson College was unable to erase and early deficit and suffered a 10-7 loss to Rhode Island College in non-conference baseball action on Thursday afternoon at Govoni Field. 

Babson has dropped three of its last four games to slip to 11-10 on the year, while Rhode Island College has won three in a row to improve to 4-15 overall. 

Valente scored twice and drove in a run, sophomore Gabe Harmon (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) went 2-for-4 with an RBI triple and senior Ryan Hvozdovic (Hillsborough, N.J.) tripled and knocked in a pair of runs for the Beavers, who finished with eight hits and five stolen bases in addition to getting plunked seven times. Senior James Clark (Southborough, Mass.) fell to 2-3 with the loss after giving up three earned runs in 2.1 innings.

First-year Jake Novak (Plymouth, Mass.) singled twice and drove in three runs, while senior CJ Almagno (North Providence, R.I.), sophomore George Threats (Cranston, R.I.) and junior Eric Wilson (Middletown, Conn.) all finished with two hits and two runs scored, and first-year Brady Zadora (Dayville, Conn.) singled twice and had an RBI and a run scored to pace the Anchormen. Senior Daniel Cascio (East Hampton, Conn.) homered and had two RBI and junior Jake Foster (Lincoln, R.I.) improved to 2-1 with the win after striking out three and allowing just one run on four hits over 5.0 innings. 

Cascio drilled a two-out homer to center in the top of the first and Rhode Island College tacked on three more runs with two outs in the second thanks an RBI single by Zadora and a dropped fly ball to extend its lead to 4-0. An RBI double by first-year Jace Wolfradt (Pawcatuck, Conn.) followed by an RBI single by Novak made it 6-0 in the third before the Green and White began to chip away at its deficit. 

Junior Anthony Iannuccilli (Cumberland, R.I.) hit three straight batters to force in Valente and classmate Kolbie Stellpflug (Whitehouse Station, N.J.) relieved him and plunked Hvozdovic to bring home graduate student Ryan Grace (Concord, Mass.) before inducing an inning-ending pop-up to escape further damage. The Beavers got two more runs back in the bottom of the fourth as Harmon came through with an RBI triple to left and later scored on Valente's single to left center to pull within 6-4. 

Babson answered a two-run single by Novak in the top of the fifth by scoring twice in the bottom of the frame thanks to an RBI triple down the right field line by Hvozdovic and an RBI ground out by senior Owen Stephens (Glastonbury, Conn.), but Rhode Island College regained a 10-6 edge in the sixth by taking advantage of an error, a single and a passed ball. 

Valente singled, raced to third on a wild pitch and came home on an RBI ground out by Grace to pull the Beavers within three in the eighth, but Foster retired the final five hitters of the game and struck out two in the ninth. 

Both teams are set for doubleheader action on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. as Babson hosts MIT, while Rhode Island College travels to Eastern Connecticut State. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are now 3-12 all-time against Rhode Island College although Thursday's game was the first between the teams since 2013. 
•    Babson's seven hit batsmen are its most since getting plunked seven times in an 11-5 win at Tufts on April 16 of last year. 
•    The Green and White, which had won 23 consecutive non-conference home games entering last Saturday's doubleheader against UMass Boston dating back to 2022, has dropped now two of its last three versus out of conference foes at Govoni Field. 
•    The Beavers' five stolen bases in Thursday's loss are their most since swiping 10 bags in a 16-6 win at UMass Dartmouth on April 17 of last season.