Babson Park, MA --- Ryan Tropeano (Pembroke, MA), Nick Comei (Haverhill, MA) and Anthony Capuano (Stoneham, MA) all amassed three hits and the WPI defense turned four double plays as the Crimson and Gray went on the road and defeated Babson 11-4 in a NEWMAC baseball contest played Monday morning. 

WPI, winners of a season-best seven straight, is now 21-8 on the season and 10-3 in conference play.  The Engineers now hold a half game lead ahead of Wheaton for the best overall record in the eight-team league.  Babson sees its record drop to 12-12 and 6-5 against NEWMAC competition.   

After a scoreless first inning, WPI struck for five runs in the top of the second.  David Larson (Port Tobacco, MD) got the uprising started with a run-scoring single up the middle to plate Capuano and scored two batters later on a fielder's choice.   The Engineers netted three more runs as a Comei RBI single to center was sandwiched between a run-producing error and passed ball.    

Babson answered back in the bottom half of the frame when Mark Webber (Norwell, MA) smashed a three-run homer to right to knock in Eric Jaun (Loveland, OH) and Sean Harrington (Walpole, MA). 

WPI went to the long ball themselves in the top of fourth as Tropeano led off with a blast to center and Matt Howard (Worcester, MA) deposited a two-run shot over the wall in left center.  The guests increased the advantage to 10-3 in the top of the fifth when Steven Gallagher (Coventry, RI) brought home Tropeano with a single to center and Comei scored on an error. 

The Beavers got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI fielder's choice by David Lennon (Windermere, FL) that scored Jaun.  Capuano help the Engineers get the margin back to seven when he led off the eighth with a home run to right center. 

Keith Scales (Upper Marlboro, MD) earned the win on the mound for WPI to improve to 3-1 on the season.  The rookie right-hander allowed three earned runs and whiffed two in six innings of work.   Classmate Matt Woods tossed three scoreless innings of relief to notch his first career save.  John Floegel (Summit, NJ) took the loss for the Beavers, yielding four earned runs and fanning three in four inning on the mound.  Matt Cuneo (Ashland, MA) threw a scoreless inning of relief for the hosts. 

Babson's Brian McHale (Ramsey, NJ) joined the trio of Tropeano, Comei and Capuano with three hits on the day while Gallagher and Larson both had two. 

WPI is back at it tomorrow, hosting MIT at 3:30pm at the New England Baseball Complex.  Babson entertain Clark on Wednesday at 3:30pm.