NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. -- Senior shortstop Cavan Brady (Sheffield, Mass.) hit a grand slam and knocked in a career-high five runs to lead a 15-run, 15-hit attack in a 15-6 victory for the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team over Nichols College this afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Mass.

The Lyons improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Bison fall to 1-4.

Wheaton scored all of its runs in a matter of four innings. Both teams combined to fan 27 batters, including 14 for Lyon pitching and 13 for the Nichols staff.

Brady's grand slam came in the bottom of the sixth inning to break open the game for Wheaton. He also doubled, walked and scored a pair of runs. Senior catcher Robert Wirtanen (Bedford, N.H.) was 4-5 with a double and a walk and scored three times, while driving in a run for Wheaton. Sophomore right fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) reached base three times via a single and a pair of walks and scored three runs to go with a run batted in, while senior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) was 2-4 with a double, two walks, an RBI and three runs scored. Junior right-handed starting pitcher Liam Goldthwaite (Braintree, Mass.) earned his first win of the season in his first start after giving up two runs on three hits and a pair of walks to go with five strikeouts. Senior lefty reliever Zach Nichols (Chicopee, Mass.) hurled a perfect eighth and struck out the side to give him seven strikeouts in two innings pitched this season.

Junior right fielder Brennan Hyde (Tampa, Fla.) hit three consecutive solo homers with two-strike counts to pace the Nichols offensive effort and become the first player in program history to hit three long balls in one game. Junior Zachary McCarthy (Plympton, Mass.) came off the bench to stroke a two-run single, while senior first baseman Brad Ellis (Morris, Conn.) knocked in a run with a single. Sophomore righty reliever Sean Ryan (Hopedale, Mass.) was saddled with the loss after giving up three runs on four hits and a walk to go with three strikeouts and was one of 10 Bison pitchers to toe the rubber on the day. 

Junior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) senior second baseman Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) and Croteau all drew consecutive walks with one out to bring Brady up with the bases loaded and the Lyons clinging to a 5-4 lead in the sixth. He gave Wheaton some breathing room when he crushed a pitch over the fence in right-center field to give the Lyons a 9-4 advantage with his first career grand slam. Wheaton added three more runs on an RBI single through the left side from sophomore pinch-hitter Anthony Teberio (Andover, Mass.) and a two-run single to right from Guindon to cap a seven-run inning and give the Lyons a 12-4 cushion.

Wheaton added three more runs in the seventh, highlighted by a bases loaded single from Matos and a Nichols error that resulted in two more runs for the Lyons to make it 15-4.

The Bison got two runs back in the ninth inning to cut the deficit to 15-6. Junior shortstop Andrew Croteau (Reading, Mass.) and junior left fielder Johnny Knox (Jefferson, N.J.) each worked back-to-back bases on balls to open the frame and both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch before McCarthy came through with a two-run single to bring home the final two runs of the game for Nichols.

Hyde hit a laser over the center field fence with two outs and two strikes to open the day's scoring in the top of the first to give the Bison a 1-0 edge. Wheaton countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Maher and Nick Croteau each reached with consecutive singles before a Brady fielder's choice knotted the game at 1-1 for the Lyons. Wirtanen singled through the right side to give Wheaton a 2-1 lead with two outs in the inning.

Hyde delivered another solo homer in the top of the fourth to re-tie the game at 2-2 for Nichols, before the Lyons scored three times in the bottom of the frame to take a 5-2 margin. Junior right fielder Amedeo Ucci (Warick, R.I.) and Maher each delivered runners with RBI singles and Croteau gave Wheaton a three-run lead with a run-scoring hustle double to center field. 

True to form, Hyde belted another two-strike pitch over the fence in right-center field and Ellis singled through the left side to plate another run and pull the Bison to within 5-4 in the sixth.

The Lyons return to action on Saturday, March 11 when they take on Coe College at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Fla. with a 10:00 a.m. first pitch at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, while Nichols travels to Buzzards Bay, Mass. to play Massachusetts Maritime Academy on March 9 at 3:30 p.m.