DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Senior second baseman Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) rapped out three hits, homered and drove in two runs as one of four Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball players to knock in multiple runs in a 14-2 rout over host University of Massachusetts Dartmouth this afternoon at the UMD Baseball Field in Dartmouth, Mass.

The Lyons win their eighth straight game and improve to 10-2 on the season, while the Corsairs fall to 9-5. 

Wheaton pitching combined to allow two runs on just five hits, while the bats knocked in two runs in each of the first, third and fifth innings, before effectively putting the game out of reach with a six-run seventh.

Maher was 3-4 with three runs scored and a walk and began the game with a hit in each of his first two plate appearances for Wheaton to give him seven straight hits after going 5-5 the day before against the very same UMass Dartmouth squad in a 7-1 win at Sidell Stadium in Norton. Senior shortstop Cavan Brady (Sheffield, Mass.) reached in all five plate appearances, going 3-3 with two walks, a double, two runs batted in, a stolen base and a run scored. Senior third baseman Nick Croteu (Cumberland, R.I.) was 2-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBI and two runs scored, while junior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) knocked in a pair of runs behind a 2-5 effort and also scored two runs and stole a base. First year right-handed pitcher Benjamin Oliveira (Somerset, Mass.) earned his first collegiate win after tossing five one-hit innings and giving up one unearned run on three walks to go with a pair of strikeouts. Sophomore lefty reliever Josh Fischer (Hopkinton, Mass.) picked up his first collegiate save, hurling the final four innings and allowing one run on four hits to go with four strikeouts for the Lyons. 

Sophomore second baseman Devyn Vezina (Coventry, R.I.) led the Corsairs' offense, going 1-2 with a run batted in, a walk and a run scored, while first year center fielder Brett Baker (Chelmsford, Mass.) was 1-2 with a walk and a run scored. First year right-handed starter Geordon Jackson Murphy was saddled with the loss after giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks in addition to six strikeouts in three innings of work.

Maher put Wheaton on the board in the team's second at-bat of the game with a solo home run over the left field fence for his first long ball of the season. Croteau followed with a double down the right field line and Brady matched him with a double of his own to trade places and give the Lyons a 2-0 lead. 

Maher led off the third with a single for his seventh consecutive hit, before Croteau and Brady drew back-to-back walks to load the bases and set up a sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) to plate Maher with the third Wheaton run. Croteau later scored on a passed ball to increase the Lyons' lead to 4-0.

Wheaton added two more runs in the fifth to take a 6-0 advantage. Brady and Matos both walked before sophomore first baseman Anthony Teberio (Andover, Mass.) laced a single to center field to bring home Brady and Matos scored behind him on an error by the center fielder.

UMass Dartmouth got a run back in its half of the fifth to cut the deficit to 6-1. Baker singled to left field and advanced to second when first year third baseman Jacob Moniz (Dartmouth, Mass.) reached on an error before being pushed to third on a bases on balls issued to graduate student right fielder Chase Stafford (Somerset, Mass.) to load the bases. Vezina came through with a sacrifice fly to center to plate Baker with the first Corsair run.

Guindon reached on an infield single in the seventh, stole second base and scored ahead of a Maher single to center to make it 7-1 in favor of the Lyons.

Wheaton broke the game open with six runs in the seventh for a 13-1 cushion. The Lyons loaded the bases with two outs before junior right fielder Amedeo Ucci (Warwick, R.I.) reached on an infield single to shortstop to bring home senior catcher Robert Wirtanen (Brentwood, N.H.), who reached after being hit by a pitch. Guindon doubled home two more runs and, two batters later, Croteau cranked his own two-run double to give Wheaton a 12-1 lead. Brady capped the inning's scoring for the Lyons with an RBI single for run number 13.

Wheaton tacked on its final run of the game when first year Jonah Nielson (Manchester, Conn.) collected his first collegiate RBI on a fielder's choice.

UMass Dartmouth scored the game's last run in the bottom of the frame to set the score at 14-2. Vezina singled to left and later scored on a ground out to second off the bat of junior Jared Neikam (Bedford, N.H.).

The Lyons return to action on Friday, March 24 when they travel to Salem, Mass. to take on Salem State University  for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch, while the Corsairs host Western Connecticut State University in the Little East Conference opener on Saturday, March 25 at 12:00 p.m.