NORTON, Mass. -- Senior starting pitcher Zach Begin (Georgetown, Mass.) allowed just five hits and no runs, while striking out 12 to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team over University of Massachusetts Boston, 2-0, this afternoon at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass. The Lyons win their fourth in a row to improve to 17-10 on the season, while the Beacons dip to 20-7.
Begin matched his career high for strikeouts and issued just one walk for Wheaton, while allowing only one runner to reach third base in seven and two-thirds innings of work. The right-hander finished his outing in a flurry, getting the last five outs by way of the K, including four on called strikes. He improves to 2-1 on the season. Senior reliever Zach Clesas (Johnston, R.I.) earned his first save of the season after retiring all four batters he faced, including a strikeout. Senior right fielder Jake Studley (Barrington, R.I.) provided an insurance run with a solo home run as one of four hits for the Lyons.
Sophomore left fielder Luke Leavitt (Manchester by the Sea, Mass.) paced the UMass Boston offense, going 2-4, while third baseman Drew Metzdorf (Burlington, Mass.) was 1-4 with a double. Junior southpaw Thomas Kierce (Cohasset, Mass.) (0-1) suffered the loss, giving up just one run on two hits and three walks, while fanning four batters.
Wheaton got on the board in the fourth with a single run to make it 1-0. Junior shortstop Cavan Brady (Great Barrington, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice and junior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) slapped a single through the right side to push Brady to third base. Junior catcher Robert Wirtanen (Brentwood, N.H.) managed to get a safety squeeze down the first base side that Kierce was able to field, after an initial bobble, looked to the plate and ultimately decided to throw to first, but was too late as Brady scored and everyone else was safe on the play. First year left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) drew a walk to load the bases with one out, but sophomore right-handed reliever Brandan Ferrari (Dunstable, Mass.) was able to get out of the jam with a strikeout and a flyout.
Studley appeared to be hit by a pitch in the seventh, but the umpire didn't rule it that way to keep the senior in the box. The outfielder crushed the next pitch he saw over the left field fence for his seventh home run of the season and a 2-0 lead for the Lyons.
The Beacons threatened to score earlier in the game in the top of the fourth. Leavitt blooped a single to right and went to second ahead of junior shortstop Gianni Zarrilli, Jr. (South Glastonbury, Conn.) reaching on an infield error. Leavitt scampered to third on a fly out to right field, but was stranded there when Begin got a swinging strikeout to end the frame.
Wheaton returns to the diamond tomorrow when it hosts Emerson College at Sidell Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch to begin a three-game New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference set, while UMass Boston hosts University of Southern Maine for Little East Conference doubleheader on April 23 at 12:00 p.m.