NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College baseball team scored early and
often during its home opener against Endicott College on Friday
afternoon, as the Lyons plated nine runs in the first three innings
en route to an 18-1 triumph at Sidell Stadium.
Extending its winning streak to three games, Wheaton, which is
receiving national votes in the most recent D3baseball.com poll,
improved to 6-4. The Lyons have scored at least eight runs in
each of their six victories. Endicott slipped below the .500
mark and is now 5-6.
Wheaton finished with 12 hits, all singles, while drawing 10
walks and having eight hit batsmen. While having more than
enough run support early, freshman hurler Corey Laliberte
(Fall River, MA/B.M.C. Durfee) carried a no-hitter into
the fourth inning during his first collegiate win. In seven
innings of work, Laliberte faced five batters over the minimum and
surrendered one unearned run on four hits. He also induced 15
groundouts.
Fifteen different Lyons played a hand in at least one run, with
freshman Eric Jensen (Gorham, NH/Gorham) going
2-for-3 with three runs batted in. Senior Jason Clucas (Peabody, MA/Saint John's Prep) went 2-for-3 with
two RBI, while classmate Paul Malaguti (Andover,
MA/Andover) was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Sophomore leadoff hitter Hal Landers (Salem,
NH/Salem) scored three times, drove in two, walked twice
and stole a base. Junior Eric Laliberte (Nashua,
NH/Bishop Guertin) also had three runs while drawing a
pair of walks, while senior Jeff Lieneck (Foxboro,
MA/Xaverian Brothers), sophomore John Keating
(Duxbury, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon School) and freshman
Sean Ryan (Norton, MA/Norton) each scored
twice. Senior Sean Buckley (Webster,
MA/Bartlett) plated two runs, and junior Sean Munley (Trenton, NJ/The Hun School of Princeton) drew two
walks.
Endicott junior Michael Drinkwater (Hamilton,
MA/Hamilton-Wenham Regional) suffered the pitching loss
during his first start of the season, allowing six earned runs on
four hits with two strikeouts and three walks in 1.1 innings.
Four different Gulls had one hit apiece.
The hosts plated five runs in the first, one in the second and
three in the third for a quick 9-0 advantage before Endicott got
one run back in the top half of the fourth. Wheaton answered
with two runs in the home half before adding three in the sixth and
four more in the seventh to cap the scoring.
The Lyons scored their five first-inning runs on three hits, two
walks, a pair of hit-by-pitches and a Gull miscue. Landers
made the score 1-0 after crossing the plate on a throwing error
before Munley singled home Ryan for the game's second run.
Jensen, Eric Laliberte and Raad also had RBI in the frame.
Wheaton continues its four-game weekend home swing with a New
England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader
tomorrow against Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at
12:00 p.m.
