GORHAM, Maine -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team was defeated by host University of Southern Maine, 4-1, this afternoon at Ed Flaherty Field in Gorham, Maine. The Lyons fall to 9-7 on the season, while the Huskies improve to 6-12.

Wheaton tied the game with a run in the top of the eighth, before Southern Maine rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning for the difference in the game.

Senior right fielder Jake Studley (Barrington, R.I.) was 2-4 with a run batted in for the Lyons, while junior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) was 2-4 as well. Senior Zach DeMattio (North Attleboro, Mass.) and senior shortstop Stephen Quigley (Halifax, Mass.) each reached base twice with a single and a walk. Sophomore center fielder AJ Guindon (Conventry, R.I.) finished 1-4 with a run scored. First year right-hander Ryan McCarroll (Clifton Park, N.Y.) gave up a run on five hits in three innings in his second collegiate start, before sophomore righty reliever Liam Goldthwaite (Braintree, Mass.) (0-2) threw four and a third innings, allowing one run on three hits and no walks to go with two strikeouts.

Sophomore shortstop Janek Luksza (South Paris, Maine) led the Huskies, going 2-4 with a solo home run, while junior center fielder Tom Vesosky (Colchester, Vt.) was 2-4 with a run batted in. Junior left fielder Jonathan Wilson (East Granby, Conn.) was 2-4 with a double and two RBI. Senior right-handed starter James Sinclair (Portland, Maine) threw seven and a third innings of one-run ball on seven hits and a walk, while fanning five batters. Sophomore righty Cam Seymour (Saco, Maine) put away his first baseman's mitt and picked up the win in relief, hurling an inning and two-thirds of one-hit scoreless ball, while issuing a walk and striking out two.

Wheaton faced a 1-0 deficit heading into the top of the eighth. Guindon and Croteau each singled with one out to put runners on the corners for the Lyons. Studley grounded into a fielder's choice that brought home Guindon with the tying run for Wheaton. Studley advanced to second on a wild pitch and DeMattio was intentionally walked before sophomore designated hitter Will Haskell (Natick, Mass.) delivered a single to left field. Studley rounded third and headed for home in hopes of giving the visitors the lead, but Wilson threw a strike to the plate for Southern Maine to cut down the potential run and end the inning with a 1-1 score. 

The Huskies reclaimed the lead when Luksza deposited a one-out pitch over the left field fence for his first homer of the season and a 2-1 USM margin. Seymour followed with a single to right center and sophomore first baseman Lucas Francis (Lisbon, Maine) reached on an error with two outs. Wilson made the Lyons pay for the miscue with a two-run double to left field to give the home team a 4-1 lead.

Seymour retired the final three batters in order for the Huskies, including the last two on strikes, to end the game.

Runs were hard to come by for most of the game. Southern Maine looked to get on the board in the bottom of the second after senior catcher Jason Komulainen (Gorham, Maine) led off with a single and later tried to score ahead of a two-out double off the bat of senior Brogan Searle-Belanger (Saco, Maine), but junior second baseman Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) took the throw from Studley in right and gunned Komulainen down at the plate to keep it a scoreless game.

The Huskies were able to put a run on the board in the third when first year third baseman Zach Mooers (Winchester, N.H.) cracked a double to open the frame and came around to score ahead of a single from Vesosky to make it 1-0.

The Lyons looked to answer in the top of the fourth. Studley and DeMattio began the inning with singles and moved into scoring position on a ground out, but were unable to score with Sinclair sandwiching a strikeout and a ground out around an intentional walk to get out of the inning.

Wheaton will return to the diamond on Tuesday, April 5 when it hosts Clark University in a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference tilt at 3:30 p.m. at Sidell Stadium, while Southern Maine hosts Husson University on the same day and time.