Game One

GORHAM, Maine—Junior Ryan Liss (Hollywood, Fla.) hit a first-inning grand slam and seniors Connor Doan (Pasadena, Texas) and Zander Teator (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) combined to retire six of the final seven hitters in a one-run game as Babson College defeated the Rochester Institute of Technology 9-8 in an NCAA Tournament elimination game on Sunday afternoon at Ed Flaherty Field. 

With its 11th win the last 13 outings, Babson improves to 27-16 on the year and will face either No. 4/5 Rowan University or the University of Southern Maine in another elimination game on Sunday at 6 p.m. RIT ends its season at 24-15. 

Liss was 2-for-3 with four RBI, junior Dante D'Avanzo (Ashland, Mass.) went 3-for-5 with two RBI and sophomore Ben Valente (Newton, Mass.) finished 3-for-5 with a double and three runs scored to lead the Beavers. Sophomore Gabe Cushner (Harrington Park, N.J.) also knocked in two runs and classmate Graydon Vyse (Glastonbury, Conn.) picked up the win to improve to 4-0 on the year, striking out four while allowing seven runs over 6.1 innings. 

Senior Charlie Slaymaker (Fairfax, Va.) homered twice, classmate Trent Rapp (Greene, N.Y.) hit a three-run blast and graduate student Max Matteucci (Bozeman, Mont.) went 2-for-5 with a two-run dinger for the Tigers. Fellow graduate student Dylan Joseph (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) was tagged with the loss after allowing six runs on four hits in the first inning to fall to 6-1 on the year. 

Metteucci staked RIT to a 2-0 lead with his two-run blast with two outs in the top of the first before the Green and White answered with six runs in the bottom of the frame after its first seven hitters reached base. Valente scored from second on a passed ball, D'Avanzo brought home Teator with an RBI single to left and Liss drilled the first pitch he saw over the fence in right center for his second grand slam of the year and a 6-2 advantage. 

Cushner came through with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the second after Slaymaker homered with top outs in the top of the inning, and the Beavers tacked on two more runs in the sixth as sophomore Dylan Drazka (Rye Brook, N.Y.) score on an RBI ground out by Cushner while Valente came around on D'Avanzo's two-out base hit back up the middle to extend their lead to 9-3. 

The Tigers, who came up empty despite having runners on second and third with nobody out in the top of the sixth, got back in the game with a five-run seventh inning that included a solo homer by Slaymaker and a three-run shot by Rapp. RIT also took advantage of two errors that allowed senior Jarin Moses (Union City, Ga.) to score before Doan stranded the tying and go-ahead runs with a strikeout. 

Doan worked around a one-out single thanks to a 5-4-3 double play to end the eighth and Teator sandwiched a strikeout in between a pair of flyouts in the ninth to record his eighth save of the year. 


Game Two 

GORHAM, Maine—Senior Kyle Douin (Augusta, Maine) finished with four hits and first-year Hayden Strout (Charleston, Maine) did not allow an earned run over 8.2 innings to help the University of Southern Maine defeat visiting Babson College, 14-4, in an NCAA Tournament Gorham Regional elimination game on Sunday night at Ed Flaherty Field. 

Babson, which was making its second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last three seasons, ends the year at 27-17. Southern Maine (32-11) advances to Monday's regional final against No. 4/5 Rowan University at 11 a.m. 

Sophomore Gabe Harmon (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, senior Owen Stephens (Glastonbury, Conn.) was 1-for-2 with an RBI single, and junior Dante D'Avanzo (Ashland, Mass.) and sophomore Dylan Drazka (Rye Brook, N.Y.) both singled in the loss for the Beavers. Classmate Gabe Cushner (Harrington Park, N.J.) drove in a run and senior James Clark (Southborough, Mass.) tossed 3.2 shutout innings of relief, striking out three and allowing just one hit. 

Junior Peter Keblinsky (Ellsworth, Maine) went 3-for-6 with a double and three RBI, Mike Anquillare (North Haven, Conn.) went 2-for-4 with two RBI, first-year Kaiden Morin (Brewer, Maine) doubled and knocked in two runs, and sophomore Caleb Vacchiano (Cornish, Maine) singled and added two RBI for the Huskies, who got hits from eight different players in the win. Strout, who recorded the longest outing of his career, gave up four unearned runs on just five hits to go along with two strikeouts to improve to 7-1 on the season. 

Southern Maine did much of its damage in the bottom of the first sending 12 batters to the plate while scoring seven runs on seven hits. Vacchiano brought home the first run with a single through the left side, Anquillare followed with a two-run single to right and Morin ripped a double down the right field line that drove in two more for a 5-0 lead. Sophomore Drew Scialdone (Amesbury, Mass.) provided an RBI triple to right and scored the final run of the frame on senior Chris Quigley's (Halifax, Mass.) single back up the middle. 

The Green and White stranded a pair in the top of the second before Harmon scored on an error in the third to cut the deficit to 7-1. Senior Zander Teator (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) walked with one out in the sixth, advanced to third on a failed pickoff throw and came around to score on Cushner's sacrifice fly, but the hosts answered with a run in the bottom of the frame and got an RBI single by Keblinsky and an RBI ground out by Vacchiano to extend the margin to 10-2 in the seventh. 

Southern Maine tacked on four more runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a two-run single by Douin and a two-run double by Keblinsky. Stephens brought home junior Connor Frickey (Colorado Springs, Colo.), who reached on a two-out error, with an RBI single to center before scoring on another RBI base hit by Harmon in the top of the ninth for the final margin. 

About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 13 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Saint Anselm College (beginning reclassification process with NCAA in 2027-28), Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 21 sports.