 |
March 26, 2008
BABSON PARK, Mass. - Senior John Pogorzelski (Hillsborough, N.J.) singled in what would prove to be the decisive run and classmate Justin Flanagan (Hingham, Mass.) pitched out of a jam in the ninth as the visiting Plymouth State University Panthers rallied to beat the Babson College Beavers, 10-9, in a non-conference baseball game at Govoni Field on Wednesday afternoon. With the win, Plymouth State improved to 4-9, while Babson slipped to 8-5. Babson junior Bryan Evans (Bellaire, Texas) drove in five runs in the first two innings to give the Beavers an early 5-0 advantage, as he singled in two in the first and knocked in three more with a bases-loaded double in the second. However, the Panthers answered with seven runs in the top of the third, including three on a bases-clearing double by senior Brandon Hodge (Bradford, Vt.). Junior Jay Kleponis (Reading, Mass.) and senior Jim VanGyzen (Glocester, R.I.) also drove in runs in the PSU rally, which was aided by two key Babson errors. The Beavers got one run back on an RBI-groundout by junior Jeff Wojnar (Bellaire, Texas) in the sixth and then regained the lead, 9-8, with a pair of runs in the seventh, highlighted by a sacrifice fly to center by sophomore Peter O'Toole (Salem, Mass.) and an RBI-single by first-year Corey Highfield (Easter Hampstead, N.H.). Plymouth State answered with a run in the eighth on an RBI-double by junior Marc McGinnis (Hanover, Mass.), tying the contest at 8-8. The Panthers snapped the deadlock in the top of the ninth, as junior Kevin Levandowski (Derry, N.H.) reached on a wild pitch after striking out and later scored on Babson's third error of the game. Two batters later, Pogorzelski drilled a two-out single to center, scoring Hodge from second to give PSU a 10-8 lead.
Babson continued to fight back against Flanagan, who came on in relief of senior Ryan Lavelle (Middleboro, Mass.) to begin the bottom of the ninth. After sophomore pinch hitter Dave Ahern (Bedford, Mass.) led off with a single up the middle, Flanagan fanned the next two batters. Senior co-captain Matt Delaney (Newton, Mass.) then singled to center, moving Ahern to third, and Wojnar followed with an RBI single to right to make it 10-9. However, Flanagan induced a pop-up to second for the final out of the ball game, stranding the tying run at third and the winning run at first. Lavelle (1-2) came on in the eighth and pitched a scoreless inning to pick up the win, while Flanagan earned his first save of the season. Junior Matt Barton (Washingtonville, N.Y.) fell to 1-1 with the tough-luck loss for Babson, as allowed two runs - both unearned - on only one hit in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Beavers' sophomore Michael O'Brien (Shrewsbury, Mass.) also pitched well out of the bullpen, giving up just one run on two hits and striking out four in 4 2/3 innings of work. Hodge went 1-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs to pace Plymouth State's offense, while Evans finished 3-for-6 with five RBIs for Babson. Delaney, senior Steve Tahmoush (Arlington, Mass.), and senior Andrew Nodine (Portland, Maine) each added two hits for the Beavers, while Wojnar scored twice and drove in two. |
 |
|
|
