NEW LONDON, Conn. — Senior third baseman Nick Croteau (Cumberland, R.I.) homered and drove in two runs, while five pitchers combined to allow just one run on two hits to lead the No. 11/14 Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team over host United States Coast Guard Academy this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Nitchman Field in New London, Conn. 

The Lyons, who are ranked 11th in the most recent D3baseball.com national poll and 14th in the Collegiate Baseball/American Baseball Coaches Association survey, have won 12 of their last 13 and 22 of its last 24 games and improve to 28-5 overall and 13-1 in NEWMAC play. The Bears fall to 13-16 and 6-8.

Croteau was 1-3 with a walk and a pair of runs scored for Wheaton, while senior catcher Robert Wirtanen (Brentwood, N.H.) was 1-4 with a run batted in and senior shortstop Cavan Brady (Sheffield, Mass.) was 1-3 with a double, a walk and two runs scored. Sophomore starting pitcher Jackson Walsh (Cumberland, R.I.) was credited with the victory to improve to 2-0 after giving up an unearned run on two hits and a walk to go with three strikeouts in four innings. The Lyon bullpen combined to hurl five innings of hitless baseball, while fanning seven batters and issuing two free passes.

Sophomore Jack Steel (Medford Lakes, N.J.) and senior first baseman Greg Boland (Acworth, Ga.) each collected a single for the only Coast Guard hits on the day. Junior left fielder John Carroll (Yardley, Pa.) knocked in the only run for the Bears. First year southpaw starting pitcher Jack Spinnato (Oldsmar, Fla.) suffered the loss after allowing four runs (two earned) on two hits and three walks in addition to a strikeout in three and a third innings of work. 

Both teams scored a single run in the first inning to knot the score at 1-1, before Wheaton scored a run in the third and a pair of runs in both the fourth and sixth frames.

The Lyons cracked the scoring column in the first when senior second baseman Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) drew a one-out walk and moved to second and third on passed balls, before scoring on a Croteau ground out for a 1-0 edge.

Senior center fielder Blake Carroll (Land O'Lakes, Fla.) opened the bottom of the first with a walk for Coast Guard and later scored an unearned run on a ground out from John Carroll to pull the home team even at 1-1.

Wheaton took the lead for good with a run in the third to take a 2-1 margin. Sophomore Tommy Beauregard (Salem, Mass.) worked a leadoff walk, moved to second on a passed ball and to third on a sacrifice bunt, before scampering home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) to make it 2-1.

Croteau drew a base on balls to open the fourth and Brady followed with a double to left field to put both runners in scoring position. The runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, including Croteau, who scored the Lyons' third run of the day. Wirtanen laced a single to left field to bring home Brady to give Wheaton a 4-1 lead. 

The Lyons added two insurance runs in the sixth inning to increase their lead to 6-1. Croteau led off with his fifth home run of the season to give the visitors a 5-1 cushion. Wheaton went on to load the bases with two outs after Brady and sophomore left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) were both issued free passes and sophomore first baseman Anthony Teberio (Andover, Mass.) reached base on an error. Brady scored on a passed ball to close out the scoring for the game.

The Lyons return to action on Thursday, April 27 when they host Trinity College (Conn.) at Sidell Stadium for  3:30 p.m. first pitch, while the Bears travel to Springfield, Mass. on April 28 for the first of a three-game series with NEWMAC foe Springfield College at 3:30 p.m.