Box Score Worcester, Mass. – The Babson College pitching combination of Barrett O'Neill (Ashland, Mass.) and Ken Rotunno (East Islip, N.Y.) handcuffed the Clark University offense by allowing just seven hits en route to an 8-1 win in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) baseball action on Thursday afternoon at Granger Field.
O'Neill went the first seven innings for the Beavers, scattering six and allowing just one unearned run while striking out four. Rotunno meanwhile, tossed the final two innings, yielding just one hit as Babson improved to 13-13 overall and 7-7 in conference contests.
With the loss, the Cougars' ledger now stands at 7-20 and 4-10 in league games.
Babson wasted little time jumping on Clark starter Austin Knief (Scarsdale, N.Y.) as they pushed three runs across in the top of the first, highlighted by a Jack Halpin (Glastonbury, Conn.) RBI triple to deep right center.
Down 3-0, the Cougars got on the board in the bottom of the second when they loaded the bases on singles by Jack Kenney (Saco, Maine), Adam Chochrek (Foxboro, Mass.) and Dennis Glynn (Jamaica Plain, Mass.). They then pushed their lone run across when Nicholas O'Brien (Potomac, Md.) was plunked for his nation-leading 21st time to force a run home.
The Beavers answered back almost immediately scoring four runs in the top of the third, chasing Knief after two-plus innings of work. Brendan Collins (Abington, Mass.) opened the frame with a double and then Sean MacPhee (Framingham, Mass.) was hit by a pitch. Chris Warren (Medfield, Mass.) then brought them home with a single to right.
Babson pulled off a double steal with Warren swiping second and Joe Barry (Stoneham, Mass.), who reached earlier in the inning on a Knief free pass, scampered home for a 6-1 Beaver edge. They tacked on another later in the inning when Dillon Gonzalez (Beverly, Mass.) drove Warren home with a single through the right side.
Joseph Gouveia (Nashua, N.H.) came on in relief of Knief and did an admirable job, tossing seven strong innings of five-hit relief allowing just one unearned run in the longest outing of his career.
The Beavers added the final run of the game when a Halpin sacrifice fly scored Gonzalez, making the score, 8-1.
O'Neill, meanwhile, was excellent all afternoon but he did run into trouble in the seventh when the Cougars loaded the bases with one out. However, O'Neill got back-to-back popups to end the inning, to earn his first win of the season.
Halpin led the Babson offensive attack going 3-for-4 with a single, double, triple and two RBI, while Gonzalez had a 3-for-5 day from his leadoff spot. Overall, the Beavers were a terror on the base paths, swiping five bases on the day.
O'Brien and Glynn had two hits in four at-bats to pace Clark offensively.
Both teams embark on three-game series with league foes on Friday. Babson plays host to Emerson while the Cougars entertain Coast Guard Academy.
