DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Junior designated hitter Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) drove in four runs, including a three-run home run to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team over host University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 14-7, this afternoon at the UMass Dartmouth Baseball Field in Dartmouth, Mass.
The Lyons win their fourth in a row to improve to 5-3 on the season, while the Corsairs fall to 5-9.
The middle of the Wheaton order wore out UMass Dartmouth pitching with the 3-5 hitters combining to go 8-14 with seven runs batted in as part of a team showing of 14 runs on 14 hits.
The Lyons scored the first nine runs of the game with four in the first, one in the third and four in the fifth, before the Corsairs got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Wheaton increased its lead to 14-2 with five runs in the seventh, but UMass Dartmouth answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame to make it 14-5. The Corsairs rallied for two more in the ninth.
Matos was 2-4 to go with a run scored and a walk for the Lyons. His round-tripper was the 16th of his career to tie for ninth on the school's all-time career list. Senior shortstop Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) was 3-6 with two RBI and three runs scored and junior first baseman Timmy Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) blasted his second homer of the season to contribute to a 3-5 day that saw him score three times. First year left fielder Shawn Cali (East Taunton, Mass.) doubled in four at-bats and knocked in a pair of runs, while first year third baseman Casey Wensley (Raynham, Mass.) was 2-5 with a run scored. First year left-hander Aiden Cardoza (Dartmouth, Mass.) earned his first collegiate victory in his hometown after giving up two runs on eight hits and no walks, while striking out four batters in six innings of work.
Junior first baseman Jake SanAntonio (Cranston, R.I.) led the Corsairs at the plate, going 2-5 with a double, two runs batted in and a run scored, while graduate student right fielder Joe Muzio (Rockport, Mass.) was 3-5 with a solo homer. Senior third baseman Andrew Possi (Milton, Mass.) and senior designated hitter Tre Coleman (Pawtucket, R.I.) each collected a pair of singles and knocked in a run apiece to contribute to a 15-hit attack for the home team. First year southpaw Aidan Newhall (Walpole, Mass.) suffered the defeat to dip to 1-1. He gave up five runs on six hits and a walk to go with four strikeouts in three innings.
Wheaton came out swinging right away with four runs on four hits in the top of the first inning to take a 4-0 margin. Senior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) led off the game with a base on balls and Maher followed with a single to left before Matos deposited a pitch over the left center fence for his first long ball of the year and a 3-0 Lyon lead. Wagner immediately followed with a single to left center, before Cali cracked a double to left field to plate Wagner with the fourth run.
Wagner supplied the fire power in the third with a home run to left center to bump the visitors' lead to 5-0. Wheaton pushed four runs across the plate in the fifth to give it a comfortable 9-0 cushion. The first five batters to step into the box all reached for the Lyons. Maher poked a single through the left side to open the frame, before Matos was intentionally walked and Wagner singled to left center to load the bases with no outs. Cali worked a walk to force in the sixth run for Wheaton, before first year catcher Tyler Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice to plate another run and senior right fielder Tommy Ambrosone (Hopkinton, Mass.) capped the scoring run with an RBI walk to give the Lyons a nine-run advantage with 10 batters coming to the plate.
UMass Dartmouth broke into the scoring column with a pair of runs with two outs in the sixth to cut the deficit to 9-2. Possi ripped a single down the right field line, before SanAntonio later followed with a run-scoring double down the left field line to end the scoring drought for the Corsairs. SanAntonio scored a batter later when Coleman came through with a single to left.
Wheaton was quick to squash UMass Dartmouth's momentum, scoring five runs in the top of the seventh to take a 14-2 lead. In a moment of deja vu to the fifth inning, the Lyons loaded the bases with no outs after Wensley stroked a leadoff single to right, followed by a walk from Bellan and a bunt single from junior second baseman Tommy Beauregard (Salem, Mass.). Guindon drove a sacrifice fly to bring home Wensley and give Wheaton double-digit runs for the third time in its last four games. Bellan scampered home on a wild pitch and Maher later singled home two more runs with a knock to center field to extend the Blue and White's lead to 13-2. Matos added another RBI to his day with a single to right to plate Maher.
The Corsairs recouped three runs in the bottom of the inning to pull within 14-5. Junior left fielder Chance Checca (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) smacked a double to left to open the frame, before junior center fielder Scott Cromack (South Kingstown, R.I.) singled to center to knock in Checca with UMass Dartmouth's third run. Possi and SanAntonio each delivered RBI singles later in the inning to make it 14-5.
The Corsairs tacked on a pair of runs in the ninth to set the final at 14-7. Muzio crushed a pitch over the center field fence with one out in the inning, before Coleman singled to center, stole second and scored on an infield single from first year Ryan Jones (Fairhaven, Mass).
Weather-permitting, the Lyons return to action on Saturday, March 23 when they host Trinity College (Conn.) in the home opener at Sidell Stadium at 1:00 p.m., while UMass Dartmouth heads to Bristol, R.I. to take on Roger Williams University for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch.
