Worcester, Mass. – April 3, 2021 – The Wheaton College baseball team swept Clark on Saturday, winning two games on the Granger Field turf. The Lyons won game one by a score of 4-1 and cruised to a 12-1 victory in game two. Wheaton improves to 4-0 on the season in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference play.

In Game One, Wheaton received a strong outing from senior Gavin Reily (Bridgewater, Mass.) who threw 6.2 innings, and allowed one earned run while striking out six. He was relieved by Zach Clesas (Johnston, R.I.), who pitched 1.1 strong innings. Josh Roberge (Chelmsford, Mass.) came on in the ninth to record his first save of the year.   

In the first inning, sophomore Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) got the Lyons on the board with a sac fly that scored leadoff hitter Brody Ashley (Strafford, N.H.). Then, in the third inning, Wheaton did more damage. Jacob Studley (Barrington, R.I.) hit his second homerun of the year to bring the score to 2-0 and Andrew Manni (Middleton, Mass.) singled in Zach Demattio (North Attleboro Mass.) to push the lead to three. 

Clark responded back in the bottom of the third when Andrew Thibault doubled in Trevor Ham, but Reily was able to pitch out of any more damage.

Wheaton added its last run of the game in the sixth, when George Mulcahey (Brooklyn, N.Y.) doubled to bring in Stephen Quigley (Halifax, Mass.).

Studley and Manni both finished the game 2 for 3 with an RBI, while Mulcahey was 2 for 4 with an RBI to lead the Lyons offensively.

In Game Two, junior Griffin Young (Dover, N.H.) pitched an impressive 6.0 innings, allowing one earned run while whiffing eight batters. Paul Prue (Dennis, Mass.) was effective in relief, going 3.0 innings without allowing a runner to cross home.

Clark struck first in the bottom of the first inning, as Chris Radovic homered off Young to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead.

The Lyons responded in a big way in the second inning. Zach Demattio hit a leadoff homerun to tie the game and Mulcahey lined a single into right field with the bases loaded that scored Mark D'Augelli (Redding, Conn.) and Patrick Santorella (Scituate, Mass.). Then, Brody Ashley (Strafford, N.H.) reached safely on a safety squeeze bunt that scored Quigley. After Nick Croteau was hit to load the bases, Demattio crushed another homerun, bringing the score to 8-1. With two homeruns in the same inning, Demattio tied John Sutyak's '00 record that has stood since 1998.

Wheaton added two more runs in the third when Santorella scored on an overthrow and Ashley doubled into the left center gap to bring in Quigley.

After a couple stagnant innings, Quigley got the Lyons back on the board in the seventh with a triple that scored D'Augelli to make the score 11-1.

Then, in a pinch hit at bat in the ninth, sophomore Cavan Brady (Sheffield, Mass.) stroked a homer over the left field fence to push the lead to 12-1.

Demattio led the Lyons offensively, going 2-for-4 with 5 RBIs. Quigley was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, with two runs and an RBI. Ashley also saw the ball well, going 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs.

Wheaton will return to action next Saturday, April 10 when the Lyons host Coast Guard in another NEWMAC battle. The doubleheader is set to begin at 12 p.m.

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Story photo was taken prior to Covid-19.