AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The No. 11 Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team fell to No. 10 Webster University, 13-7, today at Lake Myrtle Sports Park as part of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Lyons dip to 2-5 on the season, while the Gorloks improve to 10-3.

Webster saw nine different players register at least one hit and six hitters record multiple knocks for a total of 18 hits. WU scored five times in the bottom of the seventh to decide the game. The teams played each other for the second straight day.

Senior first baseman Drew Spirito (Cranston, R.I.) was 1-3 with a double and two runs batted in for Wheaton, while sophomore left fielder Amedeo Ucci Jr (Warwick, R.I.) finished the day going 1-2 with a double, two walks and a pair of runs scored. Sophomore center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) was 1-2 with a walk and a run batted in. First year right-handed reliever Tim Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) was charged with the loss for the Lyons, giving up two runs on two hits in one and a third innings, while striking out two. First year righty Ryan McCarroll (Clifton Park, N.Y.) gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks to go with a strikeout in four and a third innings in his first collegiate start.

Sophomore catcher Nathaniel Martinez (Orlando, Fla.) knocked in three runs for the Gorloks and was 2-4 with a double, three RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored, while junior third baseman Mitch Daniels (Columbia, Ill.) was 3-5 with three runs batted in, a stolen base and a run scored. Sophomore first baseman Parker Wielt (Mount Vernon, Ill.) collected four hits for the second straight day and was 7-7 when leading off an inning in the two games. He drove in a run and scored three times. Senior relief pitcher Ben Kowalski (Ottawa, Ill.) picked up the win to improve to 4-0 after allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk in addition to fanning four batters in three and two-thirds innings of work.

Ucci Jr opened the top of the seventh for the Lyons with a hustle double down the left field line and junior second baseman Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) followed with a single down the right field line to put runners on the corners with no outs and a 7-5 deficit. Junior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) plated Ucci Jr with a sacrifice fly to left, before senior right fielder Jake Studley (Barrington, R.I.) drove in Maher with a double to right center to knot the game at 7-7. Studley tried to score the go-ahead run from third on a wild pitch, but Martinez was able to corral the ball at the backstop and fire to Kowalski for the out at home plate.

Webster broke open the game with five runs in the bottom of the frame. Wielt singled to open the inning and graduate student left fielder Malik Wirges (Fort Wayne, Ind.) smacked a pitch to left center and raced around the bases before pulling into third base with a triple to score Wielt and give the Gorloks the lead for good at 9-8. Martinez and Daniels each knocked in a run with a single and senior Matt Staker (El Cajon, Calif.) also knocked in a run during the inning that concluded with Webster owning a 12-7 lead.

The Gorloks tacked on another run in the eighth and Wielt led off another inning with a single and later scored on an RBI single from Daniels to make it 13-7.

Webster scored the first run of the game with the benefit of an error in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0.lead. Wheaton broke into the scoring column with four runs in the top of the fourth to take a 4-1 margin. Croteau (walk), Studley (fielder's choice) and senior catcher Zach DeMattio (North Attleboro, Mass.) (hit by pitch) loaded the bases with no outs to set up a two-run double off the bat of Spirito to give the Lyons a 2-1 edge. Sophomore designated hitter Will Haskell (Natick, Mass.) later came through with a sacrifice fly to bring DeMattio in to score. Guindon reached on an infield single that knocked in Spirito with the fourth run of the frame and a 4-1 lead. 

Wheaton loaded the bases again in the fifth when Ucci Jr and Maher each drew walks to begin the inning ahead of a sacrifice bunt to push them both into scoring position. Studley was intentionally walked to load the bases and create a force play at any base. DeMattio showed a keen eye at the plate, working a one-out walk to force in Ucci Jr and give the Lyons a 5-1 cushion. The Gorloks were quick to erase the deficit, scoring five two-out runs in the bottom of the inning. First year Evan Evola (Ottawa, Ill.) and Wielt delivered back-to-back RBI singles, before Wirges walked to load the bases for Webster. Martinez continued the Gorloks' clutch hitting with a two-out bases clearing double to give them the lead at 6-5. Daniels became the fifth straight hitter to reach safely with a single to plate Martinez with the seventh run of the game for Webster.

Wheaton returns to the diamond on Tuesday, March 22 when it travels to Bridgewater, Mass. to take on Bridgewater State University at 3:30 p.m., while Webster heads to Louisville, Ky. on March 26 to play Spalding University at 12:00 p.m. for the first game of a doubleheader.