Babson Park, MA - April 18, 2021 - The Wheaton College baseball team split against Babson College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Govoni Field. The Lyons took game one by a 7-1 score, while the Beavers won game two with a 5-3 final.

With the victory, Wheaton and Babson improve to 6-2 overall.

Game One: Wheaton 7, Babson 1

Juniors Jake Studley (Barrington, RI) and Zach DeMattio  (North Attleboro, MA) combine for three home runs and 6 RBIs to push the Lyons towards a dominating 7-1 win over Babson in game one of today's doubleheader.  Studley finished the day 2-for-4 with two home runs and 5 RBIs in the Lyon win.

In the win, the 19th ranked Lyons improved to 6-1 on the season, while the Babson Beavers fell to 5-2. Junior Stephen Quigley (Halifax, Mass.) was sharp in his first career start for Wheaton giving up just a pair of singles over five innings to earn his first collegiate win. Senior Patrick Arter (Lakeville, MA) and junior Zach Clesas (Johnston, RI) came in relief of Quigley.  Senior center fielder, Brody Ashley (Strafford, NH), showcased his speed on the field today making multiple acrobatic catches to keep the Beavers off the board.  

The Wheaton arms shut down the Beavers offense, holding them to only four hits.  Babson was led by Matthew Valente (Wyckoff, NJ) who reached base twice on a single and a walk.  The Lyons made quick work of starter Alex Luka (Downers Grove, IL) who only lasted 1.2 innings against the dominant Wheaton offence.  Luka gave up seven earned runs on five hits in his short time on the hill this afternoon.  He was relieved by Tristen Spalter (Sergeantsville, NJ) who was able to limit the damage for the Beavers.  

Game Two: Babson 5, Wheaton 3

Strong performances from Zach DeMattio  (North Attleboro, MA), Nick Croteau (Cumberland R.I.) and Andrew Spirito (Cranston R.I.) were not enough to push the Wheaton Lyons past the Babson Beavers in a 3-5 NEWMAC loss. The loss results in a split for the four game series. 

The Lyons fell to 6-2 after the loss while the Beavers improved their record to 6-2 on the year. The Lyons offense was powered by DeMattio with two hits and a run batted in as well as Croteau and Spirito who each had a base hit and a run batted in. The Lyons received a strong pitching performance by John Mikosz (Southington Conn.) who threw three shutout innings with no hits, no runs, and fanned four Beavers.

The first and the sixth innings were the big ones for the Beavers as they notched two runs in both innings. In the first, Matthew Valente (Wyckoff, N.J.)  drove in two runs on a base hit to give the Beavers their first lead of the game. In the 6th inning, Michael Cook (Whitman, Mass) hit a solo home run to give the Beavers a 4-3 lead which they would not relinquish. AJ DiFillipo (Peabody, Mass) and Jackson Kelly (Wenonah, N.J.) each contributed an RBI to the win as well.

The Lyons is looking to bounce back next weekend against WPI with a four-game series at Sidell Stadium. First pitch set for 12:00 p.m.

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