NORTON, Mass. – Senior shortstop Cavan Brady (Sheffield, Mass.) hit a grand slam and drove in seven runs to lead the No. 15 Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team over visiting Emerson College, 13-5, this afternoon 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 Lyons, who are ranked in the most recent Collegiate Baseball/American Baseball Coaches Association and D3baseball.com national polls, won the first game as well, 6-2. Wheaton has won 11 of its last 12 and 21 of its last 23 games and improves to 27-5 overall and 12-1 in NEWMAC play, while the Lions fall to 15-19 and 3-10.

Brady is just the third player in school history to hit two grand slams in the same season after clearing the bases with a round tripper on March 6 vs. Nichols College. The senior's seven RBI represent the third-highest single game total in school history and is just two shy of the school standard for the Lyons. The shortstop now leads the nation with 60 RBI. He was 2-4, including a double and added a run scored. Junior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) knocked in two runs and was 2-6 with a run scored, while senior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) reached base in all five plate appearances with two singles and three walks to go with a run batted in and two runs scored. Sophomore Tommy Beauregard (Salem, Mass.) was 1-2 with a double, a run batted in, two walks and a pair of runs scored. Junior righty Liam Goldthwaite (Braintree, Mass.) picked up the win to improve to 5-1 after giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits and no walks in addition to three strikeouts in five-plus innings. First year right-handed reliever Benjamin Oliveira (Somerset, Mass.) earned his first collegiate save with three innings of one-hit scoreless relief, including three strikeouts and a walk.

Senior Matt Nachamie (Merrick, N.Y.) led Emerson at the plate, going 2-5 with a home run, a double, a run batted in and a pair of runs scored, while graduate student center fielder Quinton Copeland (Houston, Texas) hit a two-run homer for the Lions. Junior right fielder Blake Benway (Fairfield, Conn.) also contributed with a 2-3 day that saw him work a walk and knock in a run. Senior starting pitcher AJ Ortega (Syracuse, N.Y.) picked up his first loss of the year to drop to 4-1 after allowing four runs on five hits and a walk in three innings.

Emerson scored the first two runs of the game in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead, before Wheaton answered in the bottom of the frame with four runs to take a 4-2 margin. The Lions added a run in the fourth to close to within 4-3, but the Lyons tallied five runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 9-3 advantage. Both teams scored two runs apiece in the sixth to set the score at 11-5 before Wheaton closed the scoring with a pair of runs in the eighth to increase its lead to 13-5.

Emerson took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third when first year second baseman Justin Fields (Glen Ridge, N.J.) reached on an error and Copeland later belted a pitch over the left field fence for a two-run homer and his third longball of the season. 

The Lyons answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to double up their guests. Beauregard drew a leadoff walk, before junior right fielder Tommy Ambrosone (Hopkinton, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice that did not result in an out and Guindon beat out a bunt single down the third base line to load the bases. Maher singled through the left side to plate Beauregard before Amrosone was right behind him after a bobble of the ball in left field. Croteau followed with an RBI single to center and Brady lifted his nation-leading eighth sacrifice fly to center field to give Wheaton a 4-2 lead.

Nachamie opened the fourth with a double for the Lions and Benway later plated him with a single to left center to cut the Emerson deficit to a run. The Lyons responded with five runs to give themselves some breathing room with a 9-3 advantage. Sophomore first baseman Anthony Teberio (Andover, Mass.) singled and scored ahead of a Beauregard double down the left field line. Maher later reached on an error and Croteau was issued a free pass to load the bases with two outs. Brady came through with a blast over everything in left field for his second grand slam of the year and his 18th game this season with multiple RBI.

Emerson pulled to within four with a pair of runs in the sixth to make it 9-5. The first six batters all reached base to open the frame for the Lions. Nachamie cranked his fifth homer of the year to lead off the inning, before sophomore shortstop Briggs Loveland (Burleson, Texas), Benway and sophomore catcher Robby Posio (Queens, N.Y.) hit consecutive singles to load the bases. Senior first baseman Chris Ferrara (Coral Springs, Fla.) hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring home Loveland with the fifth Lion run.

Wheaton matched the two runs to take an 11-5 margin. Maher and Croteau each drew walks to open the inning, before Brady clubbed a double to left center to bring home both runners with the 10th and 11th runs. The Lyons closed the scoring when Guindon delivered a two-run single up the middle to give Wheaton a decisive 13-5 advantage.

The Lyons return to action on Tuesday, April 25 when they travel to New London, Conn. to take on NEWMAC foe United States Coast Guard Academy at 3:30 p.m., while Emerson hosts Springfield College in a conference game on the same day at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Mass. at 3:30 p.m.