BROCKPORT, N.Y. – First years Xavier Botelho (Rehoboth, Mass.) and Trevor Juan (Bolton, Conn.) each homered and combined to drive in three runs to lead the Johnson & Wales University (R.I.) baseball team over No. 22 Wheaton College (Mass.), 6-3, this morning in the NCAA Tournament Regional hosted by State University of New York Brockport at the Clark V. Whited Complex in Brockport, N.Y.
The Lyons, who are ranked in the most recent National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association/D3baseball.com Coaches Poll, will play in the lower bracket game against the loser of number three seed SUNY Brockport and second-seeded Baldwin Wallace University tomorrow at 8:30 a.m.
Wheaton is the top seed in the bracket and loses its first game since April 15 to snap a 17-game win streak, which was the longest in the nation. The fourth-seeded Wildcats win their second-ever game in the NCAA Tournament after an 8-5 victory over Husson in last year's Hartford Regional on May 28. The loss marks the first time since a defeat to Salem State University on May 18, 2016 that the Lyons suffered a loss in their first game of the NCAA Regional.
Johnson & Wales scored four times, including a pair of home runs, in the first two innings to take a 4-0 lead. Wheaton was unable to make up the difference, despite scoring three runs late in the game.
Botelho hit a solo shot in the first and ended the game going 3-5 with a run batted in, while Juan was 2-5 with a two-run home run and two runs scored to lead the Wildcats. Senior southpaw Dane DellaValle (Howell, N.J.) went the distance with a 123-pitch, nine-inning complete game, scattering 10 hits and allowing three runs (two earned), while issuing a pair of walks and striking out seven batters to improve to 5-5 on the season. Junior Griffin Snyder (Marietta, Ga.) also had multiple hits as one of five players in the JWU lineup with two or more hits. He was 2-4 with a double and an RBI.
Junior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) put the Lyons on the board with a solo homer and junior second baseman Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) was 2-4 with a run batted in. Junior shortstop Cavan Brady (Great Barrington, Mass.) was 1-3 with a run batted in and senior first baseman Drew Spirito (Cranston, R.I.) finished the day with two hits in four at-bats. Senior right-handed starter Stephen Quigley (Halifax, Mass.) (7-3) suffered the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks to go with three strikeouts in six complete innings.
The Wildcats didn't waste any time scoring their first run in the regional after Botelho lifted a 2-1 pitch over the right field fence for his fifth home run to give them a 1-0 edge in the top of the first.
Johnson & Wales made the most of its hits in the second with two runs and a walk as part of a three-run inning to give the lower seed a 4-0 lead. Sophomore left fielder Thorin Sanchez-Guerra (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) drew a full count walk, before first year catcher Owen Davis (Bristol, Conn.) laced a single down the left field line to put two runners on with one out. Both runners moved up on a passed ball, before sophomore second baseman Jack Magane (Walpole, Mass.) grounded out to third to knock in Sanchez-Guerra with the game's second run. Juan crushed a pitch to center field that Wheaton sophomore center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) had a bead on, but ran out of room as the ball sailed just to the left of the raised part of the fence and out of the park for his seventh longball of the year and a 4-0 margin.
DellaValle retired the first seven batters he faced before Croteau pulled a fly ball over the right field fence for his fourth homer of the season to give Wheaton its first run of the game.
The Wildcats took advantage of an error and added two insurance runs in the seventh to take a 6-1 advantage. Juan served a leadoff single to left field and, an out later, junior first baseman Miles Kelly (East Setauket, N.Y.) dumped a single into right field to put two runners on base. Snyder singled to right field, but the ball got past the right fielder for Wheaton, allowing Juan to score JWU's fifth run with Kelly advancing to third. Sophomore right fielder EJ Leone (Peabody, Mass.) ripped a sinking liner to center field, but Guindon was able to make the catch, before Kelly scampered home on the sacrifice fly to make it 6-1.
The Lyons answered with a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit to 6-2. Guindon beat out an infield single and advanced to second on an overthrow on the play, before Maher delivered with a single to center to plate Guindon with Wheaton's second run.
Senior catcher Zach DeMattio (North Attleboro, Mass.) beat out an infield single to second and moved up a base on a passed ball. DeMattio advanced to third on a ground out and scored when Brady poked a single to right to pull the Lyons to within 6-3.
Wheaton looked to rally in the ninth, down by three runs with two outs. Maher worked a four-pitch walk and senior right fielder Jake Studley (Barrington, R.I.) singled to right center to put the tying run at the plate for the Lyons, but DellaValle's 123rd pitch with a full count resulted in a strikeout to end the game.
DellaValle flirted with danger for much of the game with Wheaton putting a runner in scoring position in six different innings, but left 10 runners on base. DellaValle escaped a potential big inning in the fourth as the Lyons loaded the bases with two outs, but the JWU starter induced a harmless pop-up to shortstop to end the threat.