Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WORCESTER -- Seniors Zachary Roethlein (Pomfret Center, CT) drove in six runs and Jack Zawacki (Pittsford, NY) collected three hits in game two, but WPI came up just short in a 12-11 slugfest after dropping a tight 4-3 opener as Babson completed a NEWMAC doubleheader sweep on Saturday at Granger Diamond.
 
WPI concludes its season with a 15-22 overall record and a 3-13 mark in NEWMAC play. Babson, which will compete in next week's NEWMAC Tournament, improves to 22-15 overall and finishes the regular season at 10-6 in conference play. The Beavers will open tournament play with a single-elimination contest on Wednesday against an opponent to be determined.
 
Prior to the game, the Crimson and Gray honored its 10 seniors. Those recognized included Zawacki, Roethlein, Jonathan Lattimer (Windsor, CT), Liam Keblin (Newton, MA), Jacob Wiberg (Exeter, NH), Shane McLaughlin (Brewster, NY), Luke Blandino (Eden, NY), Brian Riley (Portland, ME), Ethan Smith (Hanson, MA) and student assistant Jack Twarog (Franklin, NH). 
 
Roethlein headlined the day offensively, going 3-for-5 with a triple, a home run, and six RBI in the nightcap. Zawacki added a 3-for-6 effort with three runs scored and two RBI, while Liam Keblin (Newton, MA) and Chuck Cappello (Southborough, MA) each recorded multi-hit performances on the day. For Babson, Ben Valente (Newton, MA) totaled four hits and three runs scored across the twinbill, while Zander Teator (Saratoga Springs, NY) reached base five times in game two and played a key role in multiple scoring rallies.
 
Game One
The Beavers struck first with a two-run home run from Colin Chou (Warren, NJ) in the second inning. WPI answered immediately as Shane McLaughlin (Brewster, NY) launched a solo homer to left-center to cut the deficit to 2-1.
 
Babson's pitching staff controlled the middle innings, as Jason Finkelstein (Walpole, MA) scattered five hits over seven innings while allowing just two earned runs and striking out seven. The Beavers added two key unearned runs in the seventh, highlighted by RBI from Dante D'Avanzo (Ashland, MA) and a run-scoring double by Teator, to extend the lead to 4-1.
 
WPI responded in the bottom half, taking advantage of a wild pitch and throwing error to plate two runs as Liam Keblin (Newton, MA) and Miles Pratt (Hampton, NH) scored, but Teator closed the door in the ninth to earn the save.
 
Jacob Wiberg (Exeter, NH) took the loss despite allowing just two earned runs over 6.2 innings, while Brian Riley (Portland, ME) kept the Engineers within striking distance with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.  Babson's bullpen was sharp late, as Dillon James (Attleboro, MA) tossed a scoreless eighth before Teator moved from second base to the mound struck out three in a perfect ninth to secure the save.
 
Game Two
WPI nearly erased an early seven-run deficit before Babson held on for a 12-11 victory in a high-scoring nightcap.
 
The Beavers jumped out quickly, scoring four times in the first and adding three more in the second. Dylan Drazka (Rye Brook, NY) set the tone at the top of the order by reaching base consistently, while Valente highlighted the early surge with a two-run triple. Ryan Liss (Hollywood, FL) and Connor Frickey (Colorado Spring, CO) also drove in runs during the opening inning.
 
WPI began chipping away in the third on an RBI single by Roethlein and pulled within 7-4 in the fifth behind Roethlein's two-run triple and an RBI groundout by Lattimer.

Babson responded again in the sixth with four runs, including a two-run double by Chou (Naperville and run-producing outs from Gabe Cushner (Harrington Park, NJ) and Frickey to push the lead to 11-4.
 
The Engineers refused to go away. Roethlein blasted a three-run homer in the seventh, and WPI continued to rally in the eighth as Zawacki delivered a two-run double and Lattimer added an RBI single to cut the deficit to 12-10.
 
In the ninth, Chuck Cappello (Southborough, MA) brought home another run with an RBI single to make it 12-11, but Babson reliever Michael Camardi (Syosset, NY) retired the final hitters to secure the sweep.
 
WPI used five pitchers in the nightcap, as Ethan Smith (Hanson, MA) delivered four strong innings of one-run relief before Mason Walls (Pearland, TX) closed it out with a scoreless ninth.
 
Game 1 Box Score
 
Game 2 Box Score