Late Rally Helps Babson Stun Baseball, 8-7

BABSON PARK, Mass. -  First-year Connor Gill and sophomore Mark Webber raced home on a dropped pop up with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as Babson rallied for five runs over the final two innings to complete an 8-7 come-from-behind victory over visiting Suffolk in non-conference baseball action Monday afternoon at Govoni Field.

With its second consecutive win, Babson is now 16-11-1 overall, while Suffolk falls to 22-7 on the year.

Webber went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored, while senior George Crowley went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI to lead the Beavers. Junior Jack Halpin reached three times and scored twice, and Gill added a pair of hits and a stolen base in the win.

Junior Kevin Belskie went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI to lead the Rams. First-year Jake Frasca was 2-for-3 with a homer and three runs scored, while senior Jon Lapolla had two hits, including a double and scored twice. 

Trailing 7-3 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Green and White got to Suffolk senior closer Cal Carroll for three runs to cut its deficit to one. First-year Brian McHale and Halpin both walked and then came home on Webber's two-run double to left center. Crowley followed with a one-out single to right center one batter later which scored Webber to make it 7-6.

First-year Max Tannenbaum worked around an infield single in the top of the ninth, and the Beavers completed their comeback in the bottom of the frame. Gill singled to right, stole second and then reached third with two outs. Carroll hit Webber, and he stole second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Down to its final strike, Babson first-year Eric Jaun hit a pop up behind third base that was mishandled by Suffolk junior shortstop Sean Cameron allowing both Gill and Webber to score for an 8-7 win. 

The Rams took advantage of a pair of Babson errors to grab a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Crowley drove in Webber, who led off the bottom of second with a double, to make it 2-1, but Lapolla's sacrifice fly in the third and Frasca's home run off the scoreboard in left to start the fourth extended the Suffolk advantage to 4-1. Beavers' sophomore Adam Ayala cut the deficit to 4-2 in the last of the fourth, but Belskie gave the Rams a four-run lead with his two-out, two-run double in the sixth.

Tannenbaum (1-0) earned his first collegiate victory after working a scoreless ninth inning for the Green and White. First-year Edward Lehr allowed one unearned run on three hits while striking out three in two innings in relief of sophomore John Floegel, who gave up four earned runs on five hits in 6.0 innings.

Carroll (1-1) suffered his first loss of the year after allowing five runs (three earned) on three hits and three walks over 1.2 innings. Senior Kyle Turner earned a no-decision despite fanning seven and limiting the Beavers to three runs on five hits over seven innings. 

Suffolk returns to action Thursday when it hosts MIT at 4 p.m.