NEW LONDON, Conn. — Sophomore first baseman Bo Yaworski (Brooklyn, Conn.) drove in six runs with a 4-5 day and a school-record tying three doubles to lead the number three seed Mitchell College baseball team to a 7-4 victory over No. 8/9 and top-seeded Wheaton College this afternoon in the NCAA Regional Tournament at Alumni Field on the campus of host Mitchell in New London, Conn.
The Mariners, who are ranked 27th in the most recent Collegiate Baseball/American Baseball Coaches Association poll, improve to 32-8, while the Lyons, who are ranked eighth in the most recent D3baseball.com national poll and ninth in the Collegiate Baseball/American Baseball Coaches Association survey fall to 38-7. Wheaton will play fourth-seeded Husson University, a 5-2 winner over second-seed Tufts University in this morning's elimination contest. Mitchell will play tomorrow against the winner of Wheaton and Husson at 11:00 a.m. The Lyons defeated Husson, 11-3, on Friday to open the tournament.
Mitchell scored all seven of its runs in its final two at-bats, scoring three runs in the seventh and four times in the eighth. Wheaton got on the board first with a run in the fifth, a single run in the seventh and two in the eighth.
The left-handed Yaworski was 4-5 and matched his career high for runs batted in for the Mariners with a pair of three-run doubles off of Wheaton pitchers, who were a combined 3-37 against lefties. First year Thai-ler Sestokas (Danbury, Conn.) was 2-3 with two runs scored and a walk. Sophomore Matthew Blackwell (Ansonia, Conn.) was 1-4 with an RBI. Senior right-handed reliever Tyler Daly (Wallingford, Conn.) was credited with the win to improve to 5-0 after allowing one run on three hits and striking out a batter in the final two innings.
Junior right fielder Tommy Ambrosone (Hopkinton, Mass.) paced the Lyons' offense with a pair of RBI singles, while senior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) was 2-4 with a run batted in. Sophomore designated hitter Tommy Beauregard (Salem, Mass.) was 2-3 with a walk and a run scored. Senior southpaw reliever Zach Nichols (Chicopee, Mass.) (0-2) suffered the loss, giving up three runs on two hits and two walks to go with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. Senior right-handed starter Zach Clesas (Johnston, R.I.) scattered six hits and did not allow a run, while fanning two batters in six full innings.
Mitchell scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to erase a one-run deficit and take a 7-4 lead. For the second time in as many innings Yaworski came through with a three-run double to give Mitchell the lead for good. Senior Lelo Martinez (New London, Conn.) worked a leadoff base on balls, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and came around to score the tying run on a single from Blackwell to knot the game at 4-4. Sestokas drew a walk and junior shortstop Angel Galindez (Carolina, P.R.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Yaworski with two outs. The second-year batter blooped a fly ball into left field just out of the reach of both the Wheaton left fielder and shortstop, while all three runners were off on the crack of the bat with two outs and all three scored to give the Mariners the deciding runs.
Wheaton took advantage of a Mitchell miscue to score the first run of the game and take a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth. Senior catcher Robert Wirtanen (Brentwood, N.H.) grounded deep in the hole to shortstop, reaching on a throwing error and went to second on the overthrow to begin the rally for the Lyons. Ambrosone ripped a single to right field to plate Wirtanen to give Wheaton the edge.
Mitchell looked to answer right away with runners on first and third with one out following back-to-back singles from Sestokas and junior second baseman Robbie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.). Galindez ripped a pitch on the ground ticketed for centerfield, but Lyon senior shortstop Cavan Brady (Sheffield, Mass.) made a diving stop to his left, got to his feet, stepped on second and threw to first to turn the double play and end the threat.
Wheaton's defense came up big again in the bottom of the sixth with another inning-ending double play coming with runners on the corners with one out. Yaworski opened the frame with a double down the right field line for the Mariners and later moved to third on a one-out single through the right side from senior catcher Matt Falk (Enfield, Conn.). Martinez grounded sharply to third, where Croteau fielded near the bag to start a 5-4-3 double play to end the frame. Croteau flashed leather earlier in the inning when he dove to his right to snare a line drive and rob senior left fielder Dougie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.) of a potential RBI single to drive in Yaworski with no outs.
The Lyons tacked on another run in the seventh, courtesy of Ambrosone again, to take a 2-0 margin. Sophomore left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) began the inning with a single to left field and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, before coming around to score on a two-out single to left field off the bat of Ambrosone.
Mitchell took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 3-2 margin. The Mariners loaded the bases with two outs and Yaworski delivered with a three-run double to the left-center gap to clear the bases and give Mitchell its first lead of the day. The Mariners received a leadoff single from junior Owen Robbins (East Lyme, Conn.), followed by a single from Sestokas and a walk worked by Robbie DelaCruz to load the bases before the first big blow from Yaworski.
Wheaton reclaimed the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to take a 4-3 edge. The first four batters of the inning all reached, resulting in the tying run for the Lyons. Beauregard drew a leadoff walk, before junior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) dumped a pitch into right field to put runners on first and second. Senior second baseman Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) put a sacrifice bunt down in front of the plate, but the Mitchell first baseman was unable to squeeze the throw and all runners were safe with the bases loaded. Croteau came through with a single through the right side to bring home Beauregard with the tying run. Brady followed with his nation-leading and school-record 10th sacrifice fly of the season to give Wheaton a 4-3 lead.