Lavanchy knocks in game-winning run in the second
NORTON, Mass. – Wheaton College senior right-handed pitcher Frank Holbrook(Middletown, R.I./Portsmouth Abbey School) tossed a three-hit complete game shutout to guide the Lyons, ranked no.12 overall in the latest D3baseball.com national poll, to 1-0 victory over Springfield College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) matchup on Sunday afternoon at Sidell Stadium.
Holbrook retired the first ten batters he faced in order to start the game, did not issue a walk and tallied five strikeouts. Holbrook only allowed two runners to reach scoring position in the fourth and sixth innings and compiled six 1-2-3 innings. Springfield senior Kyle DiFranco (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow) broke up Holbrook's string of retiring ten-straight batters to begin his outing with a double down the right field line in the fourth.
Junior Alex Williams (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford) suffered the hard luck loss on eight innings pitched, four hits, one run (earned), one free pass and five strikeouts.
Wheaton freshman Matt Lavanchy (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) drove home the game-winning run for the Lyons in the second with a triple to right-center field, his third of the season. Senior co-captain Dan Gusovsky (Andover, Mass./Andover) walked with two outs to keep the inning alive.
In the sixth inning, Holbrook stifled Springfield's comeback bid stranding the game-tying run at third base with a ground out. Sophomore Shane O'Leary (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park)notched a one-out double to left-center and advanced to third on a ground out before Holbrook closed out the frame.
Sophomores Kevin Foley (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug) and Apolinar De la Cruz(Providence, R.I./Classical) and senior Paul O'Neill (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) all had base hits in addition to Lavanchy's triple.
Wheaton (21-7, 13-2 NEWMAC) travels to Western New England University on Tuesday, April 16 for a non-conference game at 3:30 p.m. Springfield (10-14, 7-10 NEWMAC) hosts Coast Guard for a NEWMAC contest on Monday, April 15 at 3:30 p.m.