Jensen drives in game-winning run in the seventh
NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College baseball team, ranked no.10 overall in the latest D3baseball.com national poll, notched a 6-5 victory over Salem State University in non-conference action on Thursday evening.
Freshman right-hander Jared Clement (Wrentham, Mass./Saint Sebastian's School) earned his second win of the season in relief pitching two clean innings while yielding two hits and striking out one batter. Junior closer Ryan Grant (Easton, Mass./Avon Old Farms School) tallied his fourth save in six appearances allowing one hit in the ninth inning. Sophomore Mike Gibbons (Simsbury, Conn./Avon Old Farms School) was saddled with the no-decision on three hits, four runs (three earned), five walks and a game-high four strikeouts.
Salem State freshman Sean O'Brien (Swampscott, Mass./Swampscott) was tabbed with the loss in one inning of relief giving up two runs (both earned) on one hit. Junior Ed Deren (Westford, Mass./Westford) took the no-decision on five-and-two-thirds innings pitched, six hits, four runs (three earned), no walks and two punchouts.
Tied 4-4 in the top of the seventh, senior Eric Jensen (Gorham, N.H./Gorham) pushed Wheaton ahead for good with a two-run single plating senior Sean Ryan (Norton, Mass./Norton) and sophomore Justin Peluso (North Andover, Mass./Saint John's Prep).
Junior Mike Lamothe (Beverly, Mass./Pingree) cut into the deficit in the eighth with an RBI groundout to second base scoring freshman Richard Fecteau (Newbury, Mass./Triton Regional) from third. Fecteau notched a one-out double and advanced to third on a wild pitch before being driven in.
Grant diffused a one-out bases loaded jam in the ninth inducing a pop out to short and a groundout to second base to secure the win.
The Lyons plated three runs in the third on three hits to break up a 1-1 tie. Sophomore Zach Horton (North Attleboro, Mass./North Attleboro) led off the frame with a double and advanced to second as classmate Kevin Foley (Soutbury, Conn./Pomperaug) was hit by a pitch. After Peluso reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases, Ryan lifted a sacrifice fly to right field for a 2-1 lead.
Sophomore Apolinar De la Cruz (Providence, R.I./Classical) followed with a two-run single to knock in Peluso and Foley. In the first, De la Cruz punched home a run with another base hit scoring Foley from second base.
The Vikings evened the score with three runs over the next two innings of play. Junior Brett Cahill (Gloucester, Mass./Gloucester) scored on a passed ball in the fourth to make it 4-2 and stroked an RBI double along with senior Kevin Salines (Melrose, Mass./Melrose) in the fifth.
Wheaton (9-5, 3-0 NEWMAC) visits Babson College tomorrow for a conference matchup at 3:30 p.m. Salem State (4-8, 0-0 MASCAC) travels to Rhode Island College on Monday, April 1 at 3:30 p.m.