Babson Tops Baseball In NEWMAC Title Game
Babson 8, SC 3
SC 10, Wheaton 6
NORTON, Mass., April 25, 2004 – After dethroning five-time conference champion Wheaton, No. 5 seed Springfield College dropped an 8-3 decision to second-seed Babson in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Baseball Championship on Sunday at Wheaton’s Sidell Stadium.
SC sophomore
Derek Yvon (East Longmeadow, Mass.) collected three hits and drove in a run in the loss, and sophomore
Adam Tarquini (Fishkill, N.Y.) was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Senior right-hander
Todd Royce (Chester, N.H.), who was pitching on two days rest, went the distance and allowed seven hits.
The Beavers broke open a 4-3 game by scoring four runs over the final three innings. Phil McGinnis, who drilled a two-run shot in the eighth inning, had two home runs. Relievers Brett Best and Jason Kosow held the Pride scoreless over the final four innings to give Babson its first NEWMAC title ever.
The Pride exploded for eight runs in the first two innings and held on for a 10-6 victory over host Wheaton College, eliminating the the Lyons and ending their five-year championship run in the NEWMAC.
SC began the game by scoring two runs in the opening inning, as a
Matt Basteri (Melrose, Mass.) double down the left field line scored juniors
Mike Judge (Chatham, N.J.) and
Anthony Gorneault (Springfield, Mass.). Both Judge and Gorneault reached base with singles to center.
The Pride then unleashed a six-run second inning to extend its advantage to 8-0. Highlighting the Pride's second inning was two-run base hits from junior
Mike Burns (Longmeadow, Mass.) and Gorneault. The Lyons began to chip away at their deficit, plating two runs in the second, third and sixth frames to make it 8-6. In the sixth, senior Tim Ziakas brought Wheaton's fifth run of the day around. The Lyons then narrowed the deficit to 8-6 on a throwing error but the Pride responded in the top half of the seventh with two insurance runs. Sophomore
Scott Samolewicz (Florence, Mass.) and Burns were credited with runs batted in.
Wheaton picked up one hit in each of the final three innings, but were unable to score any runners, as SC's
Rob Smaldone (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) earned his first save of the season, going four innings and allowing three hits. Junior
Brian Royal (Orange, Mass.) picked up the win, scattering six hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
Team Links
Head Coach Mark Simeone
Former Springfield College standout
Mark Simeone will enter his 17th season as the head baseball coach at his alma mater in 2013 . The reigning NEWMAC Coach of the year is coming off a successful 2012 campaign in which the Pride went 20-15.
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Contact Head Coach Mark Simeone
E-Mail | Phone: 413.748.3274
