DAVENPORT, Fla. -- The No. 11 Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team was defeated, 11-9, in a back-and-forth affair with No. 10 Webster University this afternoon at Northeast Regional Park in Davenport, Fla. as part of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Lyons fall to 2-4 on the season, while the Gorloks improve to 9-3.

The game featured four lead changes and 20 runs on 27 hits.

Junior shortstop Cavan Brady (Great Barrington, Mass.) came off the bench as a replacement due to an injury and went 2-3 with a home run, a double, three runs batted in and two runs scored for Wheaton. Senior first baseman Drew Spirito (Cranston, R.I.) finished the game going 2-3 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored, while senior right fielder Jake Studley (Barrington, R.I.) and junior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) each collected three hits. Studley also scored three runs and Croteau crossed the plate twice. Sophomore righty Liam Goldthwaite (Braintree, Mass.) picked up the loss in relief to fall to 0-1 after allowing three runs on three hits in an inning of relief. Senior starting pitcher Zach Begin (Georgetown, Mass.) carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning before finishing his outing giving up six runs (four earned) on four hits and two walks, while striking out a pair in four and a third innings.

Senior infielder Ben Swords (Freeport, Ill.) drove in three runs and was 2-3 at the plate for Webster, while graduate student left fielder Malik Wirges (Fort Wayne, Ind.) cracked two doubles as part of a three-hit effort and knocked in two runs to go with a pair of runs scored. Sophomore first baseman Parker Wielt (Mount Vernon, Ill.) led all hitters with four hits, including a double and scored four runs. Sophomore right-hander Alek Elges (Littleton, Colo.) (3-1) lasted long enough to earn the victory as the starting pitcher, giving up eight runs (five earned) on nine hits and a walk, while fanning six batters in six complete innings. Junior reliever Deven Shulstad (Tampa, Fla.) was credited with the save after hurling three innings of one-run ball on four hits and a walk to go with three strikeouts.

Webster scored three runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead for good at 9-8. Wielt led off the frame with a single and came around to score ahead of a Wirges double. Sophomore infielder Bryson Rigsby (Gunter, Texas) singled home Wirges to knot the game at 8-8, before Swords reached on an infield single with two outs to bring home Rigsby with the go-ahead run and a 9-8 edge for the Gorloks. 

Wielt and Wirges repeated their act again in the seventh with Wielt collecting a leadoff single and Wirges doubling down the left field line to plate Wielt to give Webster an insurance run to make it 10-8.

The Lyons matched the run in the bottom of the inning when they loaded the bases with no outs. Croteau singled sharply to center field before Studley reached on a single through the left side and senior Zach DeMattio (North Attleboro, Mass.) pushed the sacks full with a walk. Spirito reached on a fielder's choice that brought home Croteau with Wheaton's ninth run. The Lyons had runners on the corners with one out, but the Gorloks turned a timely double play to keep their lead intact.

Webster received some help to get an insurance run in the ninth when Wielt led off another inning with a hit, this time a double, and was able to score on a pair of wild pitches. The wild offerings were, by two different pitchers, including a pitch that hit in front of the plate and bounced over the backstop to ensure the run and an 11-9 margin.

The Lyons scored three times in the bottom of the first with the benefit of an error when Studley reached base on an error at shortstop with two outs. Wheaton made the miscue hurt when DeMattio, Spirito and starting senior shortstop Stephen Quigley (Halifax, Mass.) all struck doubles in succession to plate one run with each blow to give the home team a 3-0 lead.

The Gorloks manufactured a run without a hit in the fourth with a sacrifice fly bringing in the run off the bat of Swords to cut the deficit to 3-1. The Lyons answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs after Spirito singled and Brady doubled to open the frame and were both driven in by junior catcher Robert Wirtanen (Brentwood, N.H.) with a single to give Wheaton a 5-1 cushion. 

Begin was cruising into the top of the fifth with a no-hitter intact before Wielt singled through the right side for the first of four hits to lead off innings and the first knock of the game for Webster. Junior catcher Zach Goodman (Greenwood Village, Colo.) and Wirges followed with singles to load the bases with no outs for the Gorloks. Begin fanned the next hitter and then fielded a comebacker to the mound for a potential 1-2-3 double-play to end the inning, but the ball was dropped at the plate to give Webster some life. The Gorloks scored four more times, including a two-run single off the bat of graduate student outfielder A.J. Smith (Duquoin, Ill.). 

The Lyons came up trailing, 6-5, in the bottom of the fifth, but took the lead with one swing of the bat. Studley reached on a fielder's choice and Spirito worked a walk to set up Brady for a three-run homer over the left field fence to give Wheaton an 8-6 lead. Webster answered in the top of the sixth to reclaim the lead.

The teams will meet again in less than 24 hours when they step onto the diamond at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, Fla. tomorrow at 9:30 p.m.