NEW LONDON, Conn. – Sophomore first baseman Bo Yaworski (Brooklyn, Conn.) went 4-5 with three doubles and six RBI, powering the third-seeded Mitchell College baseball team past top-seeded and No. 8/9 Wheaton College, 7-4, in the NCAA New London Regional at Alumni Field. The Mariners, who were playing the Lyons for the first time in program history, improve to 33-8 overall while Wheaton drops to 38-7 and into the loser's bracket of the tournament.
Yaworski hit his second double of the day to give the Mariners a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh and followed that up with a three-run double the next inning, giving Mitchell an edge they would not relinquish. The three doubles are a single game best for Yaworski and matches the school record, while his five hits are a personal best in a nine inning game.
Freshman Thai-ler Sestokas (Danbury, Conn.) finished 2-3 with two runs scored and sophomore Matthew Blackwell went 1-4 with an RBI. Angel Galindez (Carolina, PR) and Robbie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.) each added a base hit and scored a run.
Senior right handed pitcher Eddie Kaftan (Old Lyme, Conn.) turned it a strong performance on the mound, tossing seven innings of two run ball, walking just one and striking out six. Fellow senior Tyler Daly (Wallingford, Conn.) earned the win, his fifth of the season, by working two innings to close the door, allowing just one run.
The Mariners threatened in the bottom of the third, getting runners on first and second with just one out after Robbie DelaCruz was hit by a pitch and Angel Galindez singled through the left side. Wheaton starter Zach Clesas got out of the jam, however, inducing a pop up by Yaworski before Dougie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.) grounded out weakly to the catcher.
The Lyons drew first blood in the top of the fifth inning after senior Robert Wirtanen reached base on a throwing error by Galindez, which allowed the catcher to advance to second base. Junior Tommy Abrosone immediately followed with an RBI single into right field, which scored Wirtanen and made it a 1-0 ballgame in favor of Wheaton.
The bottom half of the fifth saw the Mariners threaten once again, as Thai-ler Sestokas singled up the middle with one out, then advanced to third on a base hit by Robbie DelaCruz. With runners on the corners and one away, Galindez then ripped a sharp ground ball to shortstop Cavan Brady, who made a diving stop and completed the unassisted double play to end the inning.
After a quiet top of the sixth, Bo Yaworski led off the bottom of the frame with a double down the right field line. After Dougie DelaCruz lined out to third base, Matt Falk (Enfield, Conn.) singled through the right side to give Mitchell runners on first and third with just one down. Again Clesas was able to escape trouble, getting Lelo Martinez (New London, Conn.) to ground into a double play, initiated by Nick Croteau.
Wheaton tacked on another run in the top of seventh when Tommy Abrosone collected his second RBI single of the afternoon, scoring Kevin Matos, who had led off the inning with a single to left field.
Max Pierce entered the game in the bottom of the seventh in relief of Clesas and immediately surrendered a leadoff single to Owen Robbins. Matthew Blackwell (Ansonia, Conn.) then went down swinging, before Sestokas drove a single into centerfield, advancing Robbins to third. The next man up, Robbie DelaCruz, worked a walk and Galindez struck out, leading Wheaton to make another pitching change, bringing lefty Matthew Pizzelli out of the bullpen to pitch to Yaworski, a left handed batter.
Facing a two balls and one strike count, Yaworski delivered, belting a bases clearing double to left-center, pushing Mitchell on top, 3-2.
The lead was short lived, as the Lyons took advantage of a Mitchell error to load the bases with no outs in the top of the eighth. Croteau then tallied a base hit to right field to tie the game, before Cavan Brady hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, giving Wheaton a 4-3 edge.
The back and forth battle continued in the bottom of the inning as Lelo Martinez drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and came around to score on an RBI single off the bat of Blackwell. A walk and a hit batter loaded the bases, setting Yaworski up to deliver a bases clearing double, vaulting Mitchell into the lead, 7-4.
Tommy Ambrosone paced the Lyons, collecting a pair of hits and two RBI, while Tommy Beauregard and Nick Croteau also had multi-hit games. Zach Clesas started for Wheaton and went six shutout innings before Wheaton turned the game over to the bullpen. Zach Nichols was charged with the loss, giving up three runs in two third of an inning.
The Mariners advance to the championship round of the New London Regional, a four-team double elimination tournament. Mitchell will return to the diamond on Monday, May 22, to again face Wheaton College, who held off fourth-seeded Husson University later in the day Sunday, eliminating the Eagles. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 am, as Mitchell will be looking to advance to the Super Regional Round of the NCAA Baseball Championship for the first time in program history.