Babson Bests Worcester State Baseball, 8-2

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Worcester State University baseball team dropped their first spring game in Florida on Sunday afternoon, as the Babson College Beavers downed the Lancers 8-2 at the Lake Myrtle Complex.

Babson scored the eight runs on nine hits and three Lancer errors, while the Lancers were only able to score two runs on 11 hits and left a total of 13 runners on base throughout the nine innings played.

Babson reached the scoreboard first as they scored one run in the bottom of the 1^st, and another in the bottom of the 2^nd. To make things interesting, Worcester State knotted the game at 2-2 in the top of the 5^th when Ben Palatino (Hudson, Mass.) hit an RBI triple to score Kenan Kolanda (Sterling, Mass.) at the plate. Palatino scored himself on a routine groundout to tie the game.

Babson had a monster 5^th inning as they scored four runs on three hits and one Lancer error. With two outs on the board, the Beavers' Jake Weiss (Irvine, Calif.) hit a 2-RBI single to left center. The Beavers scored again when Jack Halpin (Glastonbury, Conn.) and Weiss pulled off a double-steal to score Weiss for the fifth run of the game. They added one more on a Worcester State error to advance the score to 6-2 in their favor.

The Beavers chipped in one more run apiece in both the 6^th and 7^th inning to wrap up the game with a score of 8-2.

Adam Ayala (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) and Ryan Arena (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) picked up two hits apiece in the win, as Ayala's was a triple and Arena's was a homer in the 6^th inning.  Babson's Eric Juan (Loveland, Ohio) also picked up a solo home run in the win.

For the Lancers, Mike Ferrara (Easton, Mass.) led the offense, going 3-for-5 at the plate. Palatino collected two hits and an RBI, while Adam Barry (Auburn, Mass.) picked up the second RBI of the day.

On the mound, Babson's Connor Gill (Sterling, Mass.) earned the win in 5.1 innings pitched. Worcester State's opener, Tyler Barrie (Oxford, Mass.) suffered the loss in 5.2 innings pitched.

The Lancers (1-4) resume Florida play tomorrow when they take on Thomas in a 10:45 a.m. tilt at the Lake Myrtle Park Field 8.