Helbert Powers MIT Past Babson, 6-1

Photo is courtesy of MIT

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Senior Kendall Helbert (St. Louis, Mo.) stroked a three-run home run and sophomore Will Loucks (Las Vegas, Nev.) pitched seven strong innings, leading the Engineers to a 6-1 win over Babson College in the first of a three-game New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) baseball series. MIT won its eighth straight and improved to 12-8 (9-1 NEWMAC) while Babson fell to 14-10-1 (5-5 NEWMAC).

Loucks and Babson starter, sophomore Teddy Carey (Upton, Mass.), were in control over the first
three innings of play as the pair combined to allow only three hits over that span. The Engineers broke through against Carey in the fourth, with sophomore Austin Filiere (Chandler, Ariz.) leading off and getting hit by a pitch. He was then sacrificed to second, moved to third on a wild pitch and then came home on a base hit by senior Nate Rodman (Corvallis, Ore.). A two-out single back up the middle by sophomore David Heller (Fair Lawn, N.J.) put two on for Helbert, who deposited an offering from Carey over the fence in right for his third home run of the season and a 4-0 lead for the Engineers.

Loucks held Babson at bay in his seven innings on the mound, giving up just three hits and one run while striking out five against a pair of walks to pick up his second victory of the season. The only run he surrendered came in the sixth when sophomore Adam Ayala (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) led off for the Beavers with a walk, stole second, and then came around on an RBI single by sophomore Mark Weber (Norwell, Mass.).

MIT answered that run in the bottom half of the inning when Heller doubled home a run. The Engineers tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Rodman was walked with the bases loaded.

Carey was tagged with the loss for Babson, giving up all six runs on six hits while striking out seven over 6.1 innings. Freshman Edward Lehr (Byram Township, N.J.) finished up for the Beavers, allowing one hit in 1.2 innings. For MIT sophomore Zach Michaud (Moorestown, N.J.) and senior Michael Wymer (Flower Mound, Texas) each tossed a scoreless inning in relief.

Heller and senior Alec Echevarria (Chula Vista, Calif.) each had a pair of hits for MIT, with Helbert driving in three and Rodman a pair for the Engineers. Weber was 1-for-3 with one RBI and a walk for Babson.