Game #1: WPI 2, Babson 0
Game #2: WPI 7, Babson 1

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Babson Park, MA --- WPI received two brilliant pitching performances from first-year Sean Minor (Los Angeles, CA) and senior captain Conor Fahey (Cumberland, RI) as the visiting Engineers swept a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) baseball doubleheader at Babson College, 2-0 and 7-1. With the victories, WPI improved to 13-6 overall and 3-1 in the conference, while Babson fell to 10-7 overall and 2-2 in the NEWMAC.

Game one featured an outstanding pitchers' duel between Minor and Babson sophomore Andrew Aizenstadt (Norwell, MA), who both went the distance on the mound. Minor improved to 2-1 with his first collegiate shutout, allowing no runs on five hits, walking three and striking out two in seven innings. Aizenstadt nearly matched his counterpart, giving up just two runs on seven hits, walking one and fanning six as he fell to 2-1.

Both of WPI's runs came on one swing of the bat, as junior Matt Moreau (Manchester, NH) blasted his third home run of the season over the wall in left with a man aboard in the top of the fourth. Senior captain Scott McNee (Falmouth, MA) also scored on the play after singling to left to start the inning. Moreau, McNee, and first-year Nick Bean (Middleboro, MA) each finished with two hits apiece for the Engineers, while junior Brian Scanlon (Lawrenceville, NJ) had two hits for Babson.

Game two saw WPI score all seven of its runs with two outs. After the first two batters were retired in the third, juniors Joe Walsh (Weymouth, MA) and Mark Dignum (Albany, NY) recorded back-to-back singles and scored on a two-run double to left center by Bean. Babson then put a man on in the bottom of the inning, but Moreau made a spectacular leaping catch before crashing into the wall on a long fly-ball to left by junior Peter O'Toole (Salem, MA). That play would prove critical moments later, when Babson sophomore Billy Besinger (Milton, MA) laced a two-out single to right. Fahey then retired the final batter of the inning to preserve the 2-0 lead.

After six strong innings, WPI finally chased Babson senior captain Jeff Wojnar (Bellaire, TX) in the seventh, with all the damage again coming after two men were out. Following a walk to Dignum and a single by Bean, junior Paul Galligan (Weymouth, MA) lined a single to left, driving in the Engineers' third run. A hit batsman then loaded the bases for senior Ethan Brown (Lunenburg, MA), who knocked in two more with a base hit to center off junior reliever Keane Steiding (Falmouth, MA). Two batters later, sophomore Ryan Brown (Worcester, MA) singled to left, scoring two more runs and giving WPI a commanding 7-0 lead.

Babson finally broke through against Fahey in the eighth, as senior captain Bryan Evans (Bellaire, TX) doubled to right with two outs and scored on a single up the middle by first-year Travis Jonasson (Needham, MA). That would be the extent of the Beavers' offense, however, as junior Jason Forte (Carlisle, MA) came on and got the final four outs to finish off the 7-1 WPI victory.

Fahey allowed just one run on eight hits while walking two and fanning six in 7 2/3 innings as he upped his record to 2-1 on the year. Wojnar took the loss to fall to 1-1 after allowing six runs on eight hits, walking three and striking out four in 6 2/3 innings. Bean finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs to pace the WPI offense, while first-year Billy Miller (Sagamore Beach, MA) recorded three of the eight hits for Babson.

After playing four straight days, WPI gets a day off on Sunday before returning to the field on Monday. The Engineers will head to Hartford to take on defending national champion Trinity, with the first pitch scheduled for 3pm. Babson will also be in action on Monday, when they will travel to Curry for a 3pm matchup.

Release Courtesy Babson Sports Information