BABSON PARK, Mass. (April 18, 2026) – Emerson College battled back from an eight-inning loss in game one to secure a split of its New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) baseball doubleheader with Babson College at Govoni Field this afternoon.
O'Connell registered three hits, including a double and RBI in the Lions game one win (PHOTO BY Andrew Monson) |
Game 2: Emerson 7, Babson 6
Sophomore righthander Henry Kagan spun five strong innings of relief to earn his first collegiate win (1-5) on the mound for Emerson and junior Braeden O'Connell went 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, RBI and run scored to lead the Lions lineup and earn the split of the NEWMAC doubleheader.
Kagan allowed just an earned run on two hits with six strikeouts and a walk over the five innings in relief of sophomore Lukas Phillip who yielded five runs, four earned, six hits and three walks with three strikeouts over the first four innings.
Sophomore John Churchward supported O'Connell in the lineup by batting 2-for-5 with three runs scored, while first year Jack McCoy drove in two runs.
Senior Zander Teator paced Babson at the plate hitting 3-for-4 with a double, stolen base, two runs scored and an RBI, while junior Dante D'Avanzo (Ashland, Massachusetts/Ashland) went 1-for-4 with a triple, stolen base and two RBI.
Sophomore righthander Dillon James took the loss (2-1) on the mound for Babson, allowing just an earned run on three hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 6.1 innings of relief of sophomore Chase Burrows. Burrows surrendered six runs, just three earned, on seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks over the first 2.2 innings for the Beavers.
Emerson struck for three in the top of the first when O'Connell followed singles from junior Justin Fields and Churchward with an RBI double down the leftfield line. First year Liam Wagner drove in a run when he reached on a fielder's choice, with O'Connell also scoring on an error on the play.
Babson got those three runs right back in the home half of the first, loading the bases with a pair of singles and a walk before scoring on an error and a ground out, and D'Avanzo drove in the third run with an RBI triple. Emerson scored three more in the top of the third, aided by a pair of Babson errors before McCoy delivered a two-run single up the middle with two out.
Babson pulled even once again with single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but Emerson responded in the top of the sixth when Churchward and O'Connell singled with two out, followed by a Wagner walk and then Churchward scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Kagan did the rest, retiring 12 of the final 15 batters he faced to hold the lead. After retiring Babson in order in the sixth, Kagan worked around a leadoff walk in the seventh, a two out single in the eighth and lead off double in the ninth to secure the win, stranding the tying run on third in the bottom of the ninth.
McCoy drove in a pair during the game one win for the Lions (PHOTO BY Andrew Monson) |
Game 1: Babson 11, Emerson 1 (8-innings)
Postgrad Ryan Grace and junior Jack Moses each drove in three runs to lead Babson to the game one win, while junior righthander Jason Finkelstein allowed just an earned run on two hits while striking out five and walking four over seven innings to earn the win (2-2) on the mound for the Beavers.
Grace hit 2-for-3 with a double, home run, three runs scored and three RBI for Babson, while Moses was also 2-for-3 with a pair of stolen bases and the three RBI. Sophomore Ben Valente finished 3-for-5 with a stolen base, two runs scored and an RBI, while classmate Dylan Drazka went 2-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI and Dante D'Avanzo chipped in with a pair of hits for the Beavers.
Justin Fields hit 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored for Emerson, while Liam Wagner drove him in in the top of the eighth inning and added a single. Junior Tyler Metcalf took the loss (1-6), allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 5.1 innings for the Lions.
After scoring an unearned run aided by an error and passed ball in the bottom of the first, Babson grabbed a four-run lead with a three-run third. Valente followed a lead off walk with a two-out RBI single up the middle before Grace delivered a two-run home run to right. The Beavers took control with a four-run sixth, highlighted by a two-run single through the right side with one out.
Babson ended the game in the eighth after Emerson got on the board in the top half when Fields led off with a single and scored on a Wagner ground out after advancing to third on a wild pitch after O'Connell drew a one out walk. Grace posted an RBI double and then Moses finished the game with an RBI single up the middle to stretch the lead to ten runs.
Up Next
Emerson (6-19, 2-10 NEWMAC) is back on the field on Tuesday when it hosts Clark University for a NEWMAC matchup at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Massachusetts, at 3:30 p.m. Babson (16-12, 6-4 NEWMAC) visits Springfield College on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
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