Oringer hits walk-off homer to give the Gulls the win

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Wheaton College baseball team fell to Endicott College, 3-2, in extra innings on Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference matchup at North Field.

Senior Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass./Coyle Cassidy) launched a walk-off two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the 11th inning with two outs to give the Gulls the win.

Junior JJ Branch (Milford, Mass./Milford) received the victory (4-2) on one scoreless inning of relief. First-year Brady Hall (Rockville, Md./The Heights) was handed the no-decision on 7 1/3 innings, three hits, one run (unearned), a walk and two strikeouts.

Wheaton closer Mike Bisceglia (New Boston, N.H./Goffstown) took the loss recording two outs in the 11th inning alongside two hits, two runs (both earned), zero free passes and a strikeout. First-year Dan Southerland (Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) was dealt the no decision on 6 2/3 innings, five hits, one run (earned), no walks and three strikeouts. Classmate Jimmy Gowen (Brielle, N.J./St. Rose) hurled 3 1/3 scoreless innings out of the pen to help the Lyons rally for the go-ahead run late in the contest.

In the top of the 11th inning, sophomore Joshua LaJoie (Somers, Conn./Avon Old Farms) led off the frame with a single to right field and then advanced to second base on a walk by junior Justin Silvestro (Waltham, Mass./BC High) to put runners at first and second for Wheaton with no outs.

After senior Apolinar De La Cruz (Providence, R.I./Classical) followed with a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher to move both runners up a base, classmate Tyler Contillo (Uncasville, Conn./Montville) plated LaJoie with a safety squeeze for a 2-1 advantage.

Branch proceeded to get out of the inning with a ground out to first, which stranded an insurance run at third base and ended the Lyons' rally.

In the bottom half of the frame, Oringer deposited his team-leading fifth home run of the season to left field for the walk-off win. Oringer, who was 0-for-4 prior to his final plate appearance in the contest, was the fourth batter to hit in the inning thanks to Michael DeDonato (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) who extended the frame with a one-out single to center.

Bisceglia struck out the first batter he faced and recorded a fly out to left field after DeDonato's single before Oringer lifted Endicott to the non-conference triumph.

LaJoie gave Wheaton a 1-0 lead in third on a sacrifice fly to right field that scored junior Jimmy Smith (Worcester, Mass./Saint John's). The Blue and White maintained that advantage until the fifth when junior Josh Drew (Intervale, N.H./Kennett) evened the score on an RBI ground out to short.

Wheaton (20-10) hosts Eastern Connecticut State University tomorrow in a non-conference matchup at 4 p.m. Endicott (20-12) travels to Roger Williams on Saturday for a league doubleheader with game one scheduled for 12 p.m.

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