Needham, Mass. -- May 15, 2021 -- After losing Game One 4-1, the Lyons responded with a 9-4 victory over Babson College in the second game to force a winner-take-all game on Sunday, May 16th for the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship. Wheaton moves to 15-3 on the year with the conclusion of today's games.


Game 1: Babson 4, Wheaton 1:

Senior Gavin Reily (Bridgewater, Mass.) went a strong seven innings but gave up two short porch homeruns. He left the game with four runs given up, with only two of them being earned. Paul Prue (Dennis, Mass.) came on in the eighth and chucked a scoreless inning.

The scoring started in the fourth inning, when Babson's Matthew Valente hit a solo homerun over the right center wall. Wheaton responded back with their own homerun by way of Andrew Spirito (Cranston, R.I.) to tie the game in the fifth.

However, the Beavers added more runs in the bottom of the fifth as Tommy Lapham hit a two-run shot to right and Valente poked one through the right side to make the score 4-1.

Wheaton was able to threaten with the based loaded in their half of the seventh inning, but reliever Will Gallagher was able to get Brody Ashley (Strafford, N.H.) to ground out to second to prevent any runs. Babson was able to hang on over the next two innings to secure the win.

Spirito led the offense with the solo homerun while George Mulcahey (Brooklyn, N.Y.) went 3 for 3 and Jacob Studley (Barrington, R.I.) added two hits.

Game 2: Wheaton 9, Babson 4:

In Game Two, it was Wheaton who scored first, as Spirito was able to homer again, this time with two runners on base, to put the Lyons ahead 3-0 in the second. In the same inning Patrick Santorella (Scituate, Mass.) laced one through the middle of the field to bring home Mulcahey to push the lead to four.

Babson responded back in the bottom of the second off starter Griffin Young (Dover, N.H.). The junior was snake bitten as balls seemed to keep finding their way through the infield to the tune of three runs for the Beavers. Still, Young kept his composure and was able to get out of the inning with the 4-3 lead.

Young went on to toss seven innings while allowing just four runs to get the win for the Lyons.

Wheaton added two more runs in the next two innings as Stephen Quigley (Halifax, Mass.) singled to center to bring home Zach DeMattio (North Attleboro, Mass.) in the third and Studley smoked a double to left to plate Ashley in the fourth to give the visitors a 6-3 lead. 

The Lyons were not finished offensively, as Mark D'Augelli (Redding, Conn.) had a bases clearing double in the seventh to push the score to 9-3 and give Wheaton more breathing room.

Babson had a chance to get back into the game in the eighth as Zach Begin (Georgetown, Mass.), who threw 0.2 innings, walked in a runner with the bases loaded. However, Zach Clesas (Johnston, R.I.) came on and was able to get a line out to left to end the threat.

Josh Roberge (Chelmsford, Mass.) came on and threw a flawless inning in the ninth to secure the victory for Wheaton.

Santorella led the offense going 3 for 5 with an RBI. Studley, Quigley and Mulcahey each pitched in two hits a piece to help the Lyons breakout at the plate.

The championship game will be played at Wheaton tomorrow May 16 as the Lyons will look to take home their first NEWMAC title since 2016. The game will begin at 12 p.m.

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