NORTON, Mass. -- Senior Zach DeMattio (North Attleboro, Mass.) homered in his third straight game and drove in four runs to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team over Emerson College, 22-2, to complete a sweep today in the second game of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass. The game was played as part of a home twinbill for Emerson. The Lyons win their seventh straight and improve to 20-10 overall and 10-3 in league play, while the Lions fall to 9-20 and 2-11. The game was halted after seven innings due to the NEWMAC 10-run mercy rule.

The run total is the most for Wheaton in a game since defeating Emerson, 25-5, in the second game of a doubleheader on March 20, 2021. The Lyons also win their 20th game to mark the 24th season in which they have won 20 or more games in a campaign. Wheaton has won 20 or more games in every season since the program's inaugural season in 1998 with the exception of the 2020 season, which was canceled after a 7-1 start due to COVID-19.

The Lyons scored 10 runs in the top of the first inning for their highest scoring output in any inning this season and added seven more runs in the fifth. Wheaton boasted 12 batters with at least one hit and six players with multiple knocks, while 11 different players scored at least one run.

DeMattio was 3-4 and scored three times for the Lyons. He has homered in five of his last six games. First year left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) also knocked in four runs and was 2-3 with a double and two runs scored. Senior right fielder Jake Studley (Barrington, R.I.) was 2-3 with a double, three runs batted in and a pair of runs scored and sophomore Will Haskell (Natick, Mass.) was 2-3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Senior right-handed starting pitcher Griffin Young (Dover, N.H.) improved to 4-1 after giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk to go with four strikeouts.

Senior right fielder Quinton Copeland (Houston, Texas) led Emerson, going 3-3 with a double, a run batted in and a run scored, while sophomore Blake Benway (Fairfield, Conn.) was 1-3. Senior righty Johnny Maffei (Hingham, Mass.) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) on five hits and a walk to go with a strikeout in one-third of an inning.

Wheaton sent 14 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning and 10 of them scored. DeMattio drove in his first run with an RBI single, before Haskell doubled home two runs to give the Lyons a 4-0 lead. Matos singled to center to bring home two more runs and junior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) later plated another run with a single for a 7-0 advantage. Studley cracked a two-run double and DeMattio connected for his second RBI single of the inning to give Wheaton a 10-0 cushion before the Lions even stepped to the plate.

DeMattio increased the Lyons' lead to 11-0 with his seventh home run of the season to open the fourth inning. Emerson got two runs back in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit to 11-2. Junior shortstop Thai Morgan (Waldwick, N.J.) was hit by a pitch and Copeland later doubled Morgan around the bases for the Lions' first run of the day. Emerson tacked on another run with the benefit of an error.

Wheaton tagged its opponent for seven more runs in the fifth to make it a rout with an 18-2 margin. Studley knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly before first year pinch-hitter Tim Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) laced a two-run single to right field for his first collegiate hit and a 15-2 Lyon lead. Matos followed with a two-run double to right and sophomore Tommy Ambrosone (Hopkinton, Mass.) traded places with him after ripping a double to left field to plate the 18th run of the game for Wheaton.

The Lyons tacked on another run in the sixth when junior Robert Wirtanen (Brentwood, N.H.) singled home a run to make it 19-2. Wheaton added three more runs in the seventh, taking advantage of a wild pitch and an error.

The Lyons return to play tomorrow when they travel to Hartford, Conn. to take on Trinity College at 1:00 p.m., while the Lions travel to Springfield, Mass. on April 26 to play NEWMAC foe Springfield College at 3:30 p.m.