NORTON, Mass. -- Senior right fielder Jake Studley (Barrington, R.I.) collected five hits, including a pair of home runs and a double and knocked in three runs to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team over visiting Suffolk University, 16-13, today at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass. The Lyons improve to 13-9 on the season, while the Rams fall to 14-11.

The teams combined for 29 runs on 30 hits with 22 of those runs coming from the sixth inning on.

Studley's five-hit effort marks just the 19th time a Wheaton player has collected at least that many hits in a game and he becomes only the third player to have registered at least five hits in a game on two occasions following a five-hit performance on March 20, 2021 at Emerson College. The senior's two-homer output marks just the 14th time a player in a Wheaton uniform has gone yard twice in the same game, while his 12 total bases stand as the second-highest total and just one short of the program standard of 13 set by Scott Guillerault in 2006. Studley also scored four times and stole a base. Sophomore center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) recorded his first collegiate four-hit game in addition to driving in two runs and scoring a run. Senior Zach DeMattio (North Attleboro, Mass.) was 3-4 with a homer and two doubles to go with a pair of RBI and four runs scored. Sophomore right-handed starter Liam Goldthwaite (Braintree, Mass.) earned his first collegiate win to improve to 1-2 on the season after giving up four runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk to go with a strikeout in six innings of work. First year reliever Jackson Walsh (Cumberland, R.I.) picked up his first collegiate save with a scoreless ninth that included a hit and a walk.

First year Harry Painter (Essex, Mass.) paced the Suffolk offense, going 3-5 with two RBI and two runs scored, while junior right fielder Luke Harder (Liverpool, N.Y.) knocked in a game-high four runs behind a 2-4 effort. Sophomore second baseman Garrett Roberts (Stratham, N.H.) was 2-5 with a walk and two runs scored and sophomore center fielder Joe Ward (Saugus, Mass.) drove in two runs and scored three times to go with a single. Senior righty Michael Muscarella (Melrose, Mass.) (2-1) suffered the loss in the start, yielding three runs (two earned) on two hits, while fanning a batter.

The Lyons scored three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-0 lead and never trailed on the day, despite all of the runs that were scored. DeMattio keyed the three-run inning with a two-run home run for his second homer of the year. 

The Rams got a run back in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to 3-1. Painter singled to left and advanced to second on an error before senior left fielder Marc Birbiglia (Saint James, N.Y.) put runners on the corners with a single through the right side. Painter crossed the plate ahead of a ground out to crack the scoring column for the visitors.

Junior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) and Studley hit back-to-back two-out home runs and senior first baseman Drew Spirito (Cranston, R.I.) drove in a run with a single to give Wheaton a 6-1 lead after four innings of play. 

Suffolk scored three runs in the top of the sixth on just one hit, a wild pitch and two ground outs to pull within 6-4. The Lyons appeared to get some breathing room after putting up a six-spot in the bottom of the frame to take a 12-4 advantage. Studley hit a no-doubter two-run home run over the left field fence for his fifth homer of the season to give the home team an 8-4 margin. Juniors Robert Wirtanen (Brentwood, N.H.) and Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) both knocked in a run with singles and Guindon capped the inning's offense with a two-run double to give Wheaton an eight-run lead. 

The home team didn't have long to admire their handiwork as the Rams matched the output with a six-run frame of their own in the top of the seventh to restore the two-run deficit at 12-10. Ward and Harder both came through with two-run base hits, before senior first baseman Blase Cormier (Wayland, Mass.) plated a run with a sacrifice fly and senior catcher Shane Lake (West Roxbury, Mass.) drove in a run with an RBI single.

The Lyons continued the run parade with four more in the bottom of the inning behind an RBI double from Spirito, a two-run single from senior pinch-hitter Stephen Quigley (Halifax, Mass.) and a wild pitch to score junior shortstop Cavan Brady (Great Barrington, Mass.) and give Wheaton a 16-10 cushion. 

Suffolk tagged in to continue the slugfest with three runs in its half of the eighth to set the eventual final tally at 16-13. Painter delivered a two-run single to complete his contribution to the offensive show, while Birbiglia brought home the final run with a sacrifice fly.

The Lyons return to action on Friday when they travel to Cambridge, Mass. for the first game of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference three-game set with Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 3:30 p.m., while the Rams host Lasell University at Stein Diamond in Waltham, Mass. on April 14 at 7:00 p.m.