WORCESTER, Mass. – The Wheaton College baseball team defeated the WPI Engineers, 7-2, to take the best of three series and advance to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship round. The No. 3 Lyons will host No. 5 Babson College (24-14-1, 10-7 NEWMAC) in a best of three series kicking off on Saturday, May 7, at Sidell Stadium.

The Lyons improve to 27-11 overall while WPI falls to 26-13.

Pitcher Dan Southerland (7-1) struck out five in an eight-inning appearance while Joey Santigate batted 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a pair of runs scored as Justin Silvestro doubled in a run in the first as Santigate chased home a runner with an RBI single in the second.

Tyler Walsh represented what proved to be the game-winning run as he scampered home on a passed ball in the fourth inning for the Lyons.

Each side scored in the sixth as Santigate homered before WPI's John Mulready laced a run-producing single through the left side. Mulready's sacrifice fly in the eighth made it a 6-2 game.

Matt Lavanchy had the final say with an RBI single to right in the top of the ninth.

Lavanchy went 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored as Walsh and Joshua LaJoie each scored twice. LaJoie, Lavacnhy, Silverstro, Walsh and Santigate all had at least one extra-base hit. Jordan Jenkins pitched the final frame.

Wheaton is back in action on Tuesday, May 3 when they host UMass Dartmouth in a non-conference matchup at 3:30 p.m. before hosting the NEWMAC Championships on Saturday, May 7.

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