AUBURNDALE, Fla.. -- Graduate student Trip McCaffrey (Mullica Hill, N.J.) knocked in a pair of runs in the eighth to give the No. 9 Rowan University baseball team the winning margin in a 4-2 victory over No. 11 Wheaton College (Mass.) today at Lake Myrtle Sports Park in Auburndale, Fla. as part of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Profs improve to 6-2, while the Lyons fall to 2-1.

Wheaton opened the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first before Rowan scored twice to knot the game in the fourth and went ahead with two more runs in the eighth.

Sophomore third baseman Anthony Schooley (Marlton, N.J.) was 2-3 with a solo home run and senior first baseman Eric DiDomenico (Blackwood, N.J.) also put a solo shot over the fence for Rowan. McCaffrey finished the day going 1-2. Junior right-handed reliever Mike Shannon (Bellmawr, N.J.) tossed three one-hit innings and struck out three to earn the victory and improve to 1-1, before senior righty Christian Bascunan (Nutley, N.J.) shut the door with a scoreless ninth that included a strikeout to earn his second save. Junior southpaw Eli Atiya (Cherry Hill, N.J.) hurled five innings and allowed two runs on eight hits to go with six walks and fanned six in the start.

First year left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) and junior designated hitter Robert Wirtanen (Brentwood, N.H.) were both 2-4 with a double on the day for the Lyons, while sophomore center fielder and leadoff hitter AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) was on base four times with a single and three walks in five plate appearances. Junior second baseman Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) drove in both runs with a single. Senior starting pitcher Stephen Quigley (Halifax, Mass.) fell to 1-1 after allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts.

Graduate student left fielder Ryan Mostrangeli (Hamilton, N.J.), sophomore designated hitter Patrick Defeciani (Congers, N.Y.) (intentional) and junior pinch hitter Tyler Kubrak (Cherry Hills, N.J.) all drew walks to load the bases in the top of the eighth inning. McCaffrey came through with a two-out single to left field to plate Mostrangeli and first year pinch-runner Chris Serrano with the game's deciding runs and a 4-2 lead.  

Wheaton loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first when Guindon led off the frame with a double and was followed by consecutive walks from senior right fielder Jake Studley (Barrington, R.I.) and senior catcher Zach DeMattio (North Attleboro, Mass.). Maher stung a two-run single up the middle to give the Lyons an early 2-0 margin.

Rowan tied the game in the top of the fourth with two swings of the bat. DiDomenico and Schooley hit back-to-back homers with two outs to tie the score at 2-2.

Wheaton looked poised to counter in the bottom of the inning when Matos legged out a double to left center and Wirtanen roped a double down the right field line. Profs' senior right fielder Ryan Murphy (Reading, Pa.) dug the ball out of the corner and threw a bullet that arrived to home plate on a hop just before Matos to keep the game tied at 2-2.

Rowan returns to the diamond tomorrow to play University of Wisconsin-La Crosse at Northeast Regional Park in Davenport, Fla. at 10:00 a.m., while the Lyons return to action tomorrow when they take on University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Lake Myrtle Sports Park in Auburndale, Fla. at 1:30 p.m.