WORCESTER, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team was unable to overcome four home runs by host Clark University in a 7-6, 12-inning loss this afternoon in a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference game at Granger Field in Worcester, Mass. The Lyons slip to 12-9 overall and 4-2 in league play, while the Cougars improve to 11-8 and 2-4.

Junior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) led the Wheaton offense, going 3-6 with four runs batted in to match his career high to go with a run scored. Senior right fielder Jake Studley (Barrington, R.I.) was 2-6 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored and senior first baseman Drew Spirito (Cranston, R.I.) and Cavan Brady (Great Barrington, Mass.) both collected two hits. Senior Stephen Quigley (Halifax, Mass.) (4-2) suffered the loss in relief, giving up a run in one inning-plus of relief on one hit and a walk in addition to a pair of strikeouts. Senior right-handed starter Zach Begin (Georgetown, Mass.) allowed two runs on four hits and three walks, while fanning nine batters in five innings of work.

All four home runs either gave Clark the lead or tied the game. The home team saw 11 different batters collect at least one hit during the day. Sophomore Samuel Farrell (Holliston, Mass.) came off the bench to go 2-2 with a homer, two runs batted in, a walk and two runs scored, while junior right fielder Connor Rulnick (Middlefield, Conn.) was 1-3 with a double and two RBI. First year pinch hitter CJ Johnson (Danbury, Conn.) and graduate student Steven Mooney (Buffalo, N.Y.) both came off the bench to contribute to the win for the Cougars with a solo homer each. Sophomore righty Andres Hulfachor (Nashua, N.H.) (2-2) earned the win in relief, allowing just one hit and a walk to go with a pair of strikeouts in one and two-thirds innings of work. Sophomore southpaw Maxwell Gitlin (Pasadena, Calif.) gave up four runs on nine hits and fanned six batters in eight innings during the starting assignment.

The Cougars wasted no time to walk off with the win as Mooney launched the game-winning homer over the left center fence to open the 12th inning and give the home team a 7-6 victory.

Clark scored twice in the bottom of the opening frame to get on the board first with a 2-0 lead. First year center fielder Carter Doran (Natick, Mass.) roped a leadoff single to right and Rulnick followed with a two-run homer to left center field to quickly give the home team a two-run lead. 

Wheaton erased the 2-0 deficit and strung four hits together to erupt for four runs in the fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead. Junior second baseman Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) reached on an infield single and sophomore center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) put both runners in scoring position with a one-out double to center field. Croteau came through with a two-run single to plate both runners and knot the game at 2-2. Studley laced a single through the left side to score Croteau with the go-ahead run and took second on the throw. Studley's head's up running paid off when he was able to steal third and score on a ground out from senior catcher Zach DeMattio (North Attleboro, Mass.) to give the visitors a 4-2 margin.

The Cougars clawed their way back into the game with single runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game at 4-4. Farrell singled through the left side and later scored when graduate student left fielder Chris Radovic (Fairfield, Conn.) ripped a double to left field to cut the deficit to 4-3 for Clark. Johnson tied the game at 4-4 with a one-out homer over the short left field fence in the bottom of the eighth.

First year pinch-hitter Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) singled to right field to lead off the 11th for the Lyons. Brady followed with a bunt single down the first baseline and Maher later drew a walk to bring up Croteau with the bases loaded and one out. The infielder delivered a two-run single through the left side to plate Matos and Brady, who beat the throw home, and give Wheaton a 6-4 lead and the eventual winning runs.

The Cougars used the longball again to keep them alive in the bottom of the inning when Doran was hit by a pitch and Farrell homered over the left field fence to re-tie the game at 6-6.

The Lyons return to action tomorrow when they host Suffolk University at Sidell Stadium for a 4:00 p.m. first pitch, while Clark hosts Worcester State University at 3:00 p.m.