NEW LONDON, Conn. — Senior shortstop Cavan Brady (Sheffield, Mass.) hit a two-run home run and the No. 8/9 and top-seeded Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team's bullpen tossed seven innings of one-run ball to preserve a 6-5 victory over number three seed and host Mitchell College this afternoon to force the if necessary final contest of the NCAA Regional at Alumni Field in New London, Conn.
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, improve to 40-7 on the season for their first 40-win campaign since 2012 when they finished the year with a 41-11 mark. The Mariners, who are ranked 27th in the most recent Collegiate Baseball/American Baseball Coaches Association poll, dip to 33-9.
Both teams combined to score in four of the first five innings before the bullpens held each opposing lineup scoreless over the final four innings of play. Wheaton scored three times in the first, before Mitchell countered with two runs. Each team scored a single run in the second to keep it a one-run game, before the Mariners scratched out a run in the third to tie the contest at 4-4. The Lyons took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, before Mitchell got a run back in the bottom of the frame.
Brady hit a two-run homer to provide the difference in the game for Wheaton and finished the game going 2-5 with a run scored. Four relievers combined to throw seven innings to close out the game for Wheaton, including sophomore southpaw Josh Fischer (Hopkinton, Mass.), who was credited with the win to improve to 5-1 after allowing a run on five hits to go with two strikeouts in two innings of work. Classmate Joe Mulhern (Taunton, Mass.) hurled two and two-thirds innings of two-hit ball with one walk and a strike out for the Lyons. Senior lefty Zach Nichols (Chicopee, Mass.) picked up his sixth save of the year with a scoreless ninth that saw him surrender one hit and fan a batter. Wheaton pounded out 15 hits to record double-digit knocks for the 34th time this season. Sophomore left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) was 3-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored, while senior second baseman Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) was 3-5 with a run batted in and a run scored.
The Mariners rapped out 12 hits and was paced by sophomore first baseman Bo Yaworski (Brooklyn, Conn.), who was 3-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. First year center fielder Thai-ler Sestokas (Danbury, Conn.) was 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored and junior Owen Robbins (East Lyme, Conn.) was 3-4 with a triple and a run scored. Senior right-hander Kenny Heon (Montville, Conn.) suffered the loss to drop to 3-1 after allowing two runs on four hits to go with four strikeouts in two innings. Senior lefty Kevin Vining (Wallingford, Conn.) closed out the game for Mitchell with two and a third innings of three-hit ball and a strike out.
Wheaton scored twice with two swings of the bat in the top of the fifth to take a 6-4 lead. Senior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) tattooed a single to center field and Brady crushed a pitch over the left field fence for his seventh round tripper of the year to give the Lyons a two-run lead and him the national lead in runs batted in with 76.
Mitchell threatened to stage a big run-scoring inning in the fifth, loading the bases with just one out, but managed to score just one run and pull within 6-5. Owens opened the inning with a single to left and sophomore designated hitter Matthew Blackwell (Ansonia, Conn.) was hit by a pitch to continue a trend for the Mariners of putting their first two hitters on base to begin an inning. Sestokas laced a single to left field to score Robbins with the fifth Mitchell run. Junior shortstop Angel Galindez (Carolina, P.R.) worked a walk to load the bases, but Mulhern retired the next two batters on fly outs to end the threat for Wheaton.
The Lyons wasted no time, scoring three runs in the top of the first to take a 3-0 lead. Wheaton opened the inning with junior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) and Maher both reaching on singles to give the Lyons a pair of baserunners with no outs. Two outs later, Matos delivered a two-run double to right field to give the Lyons a 2-0 lead. Senior catcher Robert Wirtanen (Brentwood, N.H.) served a fly ball to the right-center gap that the diving Mitchell center fielder could not corral, resulting in Matos scoring the third run for Wheaton.
The Mariners answered right away in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs to make it a one-run game. The first three hitters in the Mitchell lineup all reached, resulting in two runs. Galindez was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, before Yaworski belted a double to the right-center gap to put both runners in scoring position with no outs. Senior left fielder Dougie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.) came through with a two-run single to center field to plate Galindez and Yaworksi. Lyon sophomore starting pitcher Jackson Walsh (Cumberland, R.I.) settled down and retired three of the next four hitters to get out of the inning.
Wheaton tacked on a run in the second to increase its lead to 4-2. Guindon reached on a fielder's choice and stole second to set up Maher for an RBI single to right field to bring around Guindon with the Lyons' fourth run.
Mitchell got the run back in the bottom of the frame to keep it a one-run game. Sestokas laced a leadoff single to left field, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on a ground ball and scored when the red-hot Yaworski ripped a single just past the outstretched Wheaton third baseman to make it 4-3.
The Mariners scored in their third straight inning to open the game to knot the score at 4-4 with a single run. Senior Matt Falk (Enfield, Conn.) drew a leadoff walk and senior Lelo Martinez (New London, Conn.) became the third Mitchell batter to wear a pitch and was awarded first to give the Mariners two runners with no outs. Blackwell delivered a single to right field to bring home Falk, while Martinez moved to third and Blackwell to second on an errant throw to the infield to put both runners in scoring position with just one out. Fischer bared down for the Lyons and set down the next two hitters on strikes to limit the damage and keep it tied.