Norton, MA --- Three batters drove in at least two runs in game one for the Wheaton baseball team and senior right-hander Gavin Reily (Bridgewater, MA) allowed just one earned run on two hits to lead the Lyons to a sweep over WPI with a 10-5 win in the opener and a 5-2 victory in the nightcap this afternoon in NEWMAC action at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, MA.
The Lyons, who received votes in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association/D3baseball.com Coaches Poll, have now won seven of their last eight games to improve to 9-6 on the season and 2-0 in the NEWMAC, while the Engineers' seven-game win streak ends and they fall to 10-7 and 0-2.
Reily improved to 3-1 on the season and threw 93 pitches in the second game with only 13 of them called a ball during a complete game win for Wheaton. He navigated through seven Wheaton errors and struck out seven, while not walking a batter in nine innings. Junior right fielder Jake Studley (Barrington, RI) was 1-4 with two runs batted in, while sophomore center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, RI) was 2-4 with a run batted in and a run scored.
Sophomore shortstop Jacob Hand (Niskayuna, NY) hit a solo home run and scored a pair of runs, while junior catcher Joe Salvon (Longmeadow, MA) singled home a run for WPI. Junior righty Carter Bach (Albany, NY) (1-1) was saddled with the loss in relief, giving up five runs (four earned) on three hits and two walks. Senior right-hander Andrew Dupuis' (Raymond, NH) first start of the season was a good one for the Engineers with him hurling six four-hit scoreless innings with just one walk and five strikeouts.
The Engineers owned a 1-0 edge, but a four-run seventh inning gave the Lyons all the runs they needed for the triumph. Junior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, RI) reached on an error and first year first baseman Anthony Teberio (Andover, MA) put runners on the corners with a one-out single. Senior pinch-hitter Stephen Quigley (Halifax, MA) stepped in from the left side and put down a perfect bunt down the first base line, on a safety squeeze, that was fielded by the first baseman, who looked to make a play at the plate, but was beaten by Croteau to knot the score at 1-1. Guindon reached on an infield single deep in the hole on the right side, while sophomore pinch-runner Amedeo Ucci Jr (Warwick, RI) scored on the play to take a 2-1 edge. Junior shortstop Cavan Brady (Great Barrington, MA) worked a walk to load the bases, before Studley smacked a two-run single through the right side to give Wheaton a 4-1 margin. Brady later scored on a wild pitch to give the Lyons an insurance run to make it 5-1.
The Engineers cut the deficit to 5-2 with a run in the ninth, taking advantage of an error by the home team. Hand reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on an errant throw that was intended to complete a double play to end the game. Salvon followed with a single to left to plate Hand with the final run of the afternoon.
Hand broke up a scoreless game in the fifth when he led off with a home run over the right field fence to give the visitors a 1-0 edge and break up a no-hitter by Reily through the first four innings.
Wheaton scored nine of its 10 runs in the opening game in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Studley, senior catcher Zach DeMattio (North Attleboro, MA) and first year designated hitter Will Haskell (Natick, MA) all drove in a pair of runs to pace the Lyons. Studley was 2-3 with two runs scored, while DeMattio was 1-3 with a double and a run scored and Haskell was 2-4 with a double. Eight different hitters collected at least one hit for Wheaton, including Croteau, who was 1-3 with a double, two runs scored and a run batted in. Senior right-handed starter Griffin Young (Dover, NH) improved to 3-1 after giving up three runs (two earned) on nine hits and a walk to go with eight strikeouts.
WPI outhit its hosts, 12-10, and was paced by senior first baseman Dylan Connors' (Westboro, MA) first collegiate four-hit game. Connors knocked in two runs, scored a run and smacked a double, while first year left fielder Andrew Cash (Marlboro, MA) was 2-3 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored. Salvon was 2-5 with a double. Junior starting pitcher Everett Wonson (York, ME) gave up 10 runs (nine earned) on nine hits and three walks in six and a third innings pitched to go with three walks and five strikeouts.
The Lyons broke open a 2-2 game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-2 lead. First year left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, MA) was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and later scored from second on a two-out single through the left side off the bat of Studley to give the home team a 3-2 edge. DeMattio drew a walk and Haskell crushed a double to left center to score both runners and set Wheaton with a 5-2 lead.
The Engineers got a run back in the top of the seventh with two outs. Senior third baseman Andrew Brooks (Millis, MA) stung a two-out single up the middle, before coming around to score on a Cash single to center field to cut the deficit to 5-3.
The Lyons effectively put the game away with five runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 10-3 lead. They loaded the bases with no outs after Croteau and Quigley sandwiched walks around a Teberio single. Guindon plated Croteau with a single down the right field line, before Brady drove in Teberio with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 7-3. Studley reached on an infield single to score Ucci Jr, who pinch ran for Quigley and DeMattio brought in two more runs with a two-run double to left center to give Wheaton 10 runs.
WPI scored two runs in the ninth to pull to within 10-5, but it was as close as it would get. Brooks (single) and Cash (walk) each reached to set up a run-scoring single to center off the bat of Connors. Hand later walked to load the bases to set up a run-scoring wild pitch to plate Cash with the game's final run.
The Lyons return to action tomorrow when they travel to Gorham, ME to take on Southern Maine at 1:00pm, while the Engineers head to New London, CT. for a twinbill with Mitchell at 12:00 noon.
Release Courtesy Wheaton Sports Information