Springfield, Mass. – May 3, 2025 – For the first time in 13 seasons, the Springfield College baseball team earned a doubleheader sweep over Babson College wrapping up the 2025 campaign for the Pride. Springfield won a 5-4, 11 inning thriller in the opener before waiting out a 90 minute rain delay for a 5-1 victory in the nightcap.

Springfield ends its season with a record of 14-22 (6-10 NEWMAC), while Babson secured the sixth seeded in next week's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament and finished the regular season 23-12, 8-8.

Nate Garafalo (Kinderhook, N.Y.) went 4-for-9 on the afternoon with a double, triple and home run to go along with three RBI, while Adam Crocker (Windsor, Nova Scotia), Chris Balchius (Norwalk, Conn.) and Jack Dunaisky (Longmeadow, Mass.) all tallied three hits apiece and combined for five RBI in the doubleheader sweep.

Game One: Springfield 5, Babson 4 (11 Innings)

Springfield led 4-0 through four innings on a two-run single by Garafalo in the first, a solo shot by Garafalo in the second and an RBI single by Dunaisky in the fourth. Babson chipped away with two runs in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single and then forced extra innings with solo runs in the eighth and the ninth.

A one out single Walter Sadowsky led to the run after the pinch runner advanced to second on a hit to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out by Thomas Parisi. Then a leadoff single by Tanenr Santos in the ninth led to him eventually coming around to score the game tying run on a hit by Brant Savage forcing extra frames.

The teams went down 1-2-3 in the tenth and then in the 11th Justin Guest was gunned down at the plate on an outfield assist by Michael Lepere (Beacon, N.Y.) keeping the score even at four.

Ryan Duffy (Stafford Springs, Conn.) began the bottom of the frame being hit by a pitch and then moving to second on a flyout to right. After an intentional walk to set up what could have forced a double play, Dunaisky ripped the ball to left field allowing Duffy to score the game winning run.

JP Catellier (Springfield, Mass.), Josh Mayo (Westfield, Mass.), Ryan Delaney (Ellington, Conn.) and Jack Richburg (Hinesburg, Vt.), despite combining to allow 14 hits on the day punched out eight batters. Richburg tossed the final two frames earning his first win of the season.

Game Two: Springfield 5, Babson 1

A one out triple by Garafalo set up a sacrifice fly from Cole Zalegowski (North Haven, Conn.) pushing Springfield ahead 1-0. Before the frame was over. Luke DiMauro (Haddam, Conn.), who singled to center, came across with Springfield's second run on an RBI triple by Crocker.

A solo shot to right by Balchius in the fifth made it 3-0 before an error allowed Springfield to take a 4-0 lead. Both teams scored on RBI groundouts in the sixth as the score stood 5-1 in favor of the Pride late into the game.

With two outs in the top of the eighth, the thunder rolled in and caused a 90 minute delay. With Delaney on the bump for the Pride, Babson worked a walk out of the delay, but the sophomore got out of it unscathed. Delaney then allowed a walk to begin the ninth, but induced a double play and struck out the side to secure the 5-1 win and the sweep for Springfield. 

Nate Kelleher-Mochak (Florence, Mass.) got the win (2-2) as he tossed 5.2 frames and allowed one run to go along with five punchouts. Jarrad Coyne (Dorchester, Mass.), Max Giacco (Meriden, Conn.), AJ Dillard (Feeding Hills, Mass.) and Delaney combined to go the final 3.1 innings allowing zero hits to the Beavers.

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