SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Four different hitters drove in multiple runs and the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball pitching staff allowed just one run on seven hits in an 11-1 victory over Springfield College this afternoon in the first game of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference twinbill. The Lyons were the home team for the day, despite the Pride hosting the games at Archie Allen Field, on the Springfield campus, after a week of rain rendered Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus unplayable.
The Lyons have won seven of their last eight to improve to 8-4 overall and a perfect 2-0 in league play, while the Pride fall to 11-8 and 0-2. The game was called with two outs in the bottom of the eighth due to the 10-run mercy rule as mandated by the NEWMAC.
Wheaton pounded out 12 hits to register double-digit knocks for the seventh time this season, including four extra-base hits with three doubles and a triple, while drawing seven walks. It was the fifth time this season that the Lyons have been issued five or more walks in a game.
Wheaton notched at least one run in all but two innings of play. Springfield scored the first run of the game in the top of the second inning, before the Lyons matched it with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. Wheaton added two runs in the third and single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take a 6-1 cushion heading into the eighth inning. The Lyons ended the contest with a five-run eighth inning to give them a double-digit difference.
Senior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) knocked in two runs, while going 2-3 with a double, a triple, two walks and a pair of runs batted in for Wheaton. Eight out of nine batters all collected a hit and seven of the Lyon nine scored at least a run. Senior shortstop Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) scored three times and was 2-2 with three walks and a run batted in. First year third baseman Casey Wensley (Raynham, Mass.) drove in a pair of runs and was 2-4 with a run scored. Junior designated hitter Anthony Teberio (Andover, Mass.) and first year catcher Tyler Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) each rapped out a double, drove in a run and scored a run. Junior starting pitcher Ryan McCarroll (Clifton Park, N.Y.) earned the victory to improve to 3-1 after allowing just one run on six hits and three walks to go with nine strikeouts in five and a third innings. Junior right-handed reliever Jackson Walsh (Cumberland, R.I.) was outstanding in relief, closing out the game with two and two-thirds innings of one-hit relief.
First year second baseman Nate Garafalo (Kinderhook, N.Y.) led the Springfield offense, going 2-2 with a walk, a double, and a run batted in, while junior center fielder Michael Lepere (Beacon, N.Y.) was 2-2 with a run scored and a pair of walks. Senior righty starting pitcher Connor Caverly (South Berwick, Maine) suffered the loss to dip to 1-1. He gave up five runs (four earned) on five hits and six walks to go with five strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings of work.
The teams traded single runs in the second inning to keep the game even at 1-1. The first three batters all reached for the Pride to facilitate their run. Lepere worked a lead-off walk, before first year left fielder Adam Crocker (Windsor, N.S.) singled to right and Garafalo doubled to right with the help of the sun that compromised the right fielder's ability to make the catch, while Lepere came around to scored the first run of the contest. McCarroll slammed the door shut on any kind of rally with three straight strikeouts to end the threat.
The Lyons evened the score in the bottom of the frame when junior second baseman Tommy Beauregard (Salem, Mass.) drew a two-out walk and came around to score on a hustle triple to center field by Guindon.
Wheaton increased its lead by two with a pair of runs in the third to make it 3-1. Maher opened the frame with a base on balls and also came around to score with two outs, following an RBI double off the bat of Teberio to the vacant left center gap to give the Lyons the lead. Teberio scampered to third on a wild pitch and scored ahead of an infield single to first base that the fleet-footed Wensley beat out.
Wheaton continued to build its advantage, scoring a single run in the fifth to take a 4-1 margin. Guindon was issued a free pass with one out, stole second base and scored when Maher served a single to center field.
The Lyons loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth, but managed to score just one run to give them a 5-1 lead. Junior first baseman Timmy Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) reached on an error, Teberio was hit by a pitch and Wensley beat out a bunt single to the third base side. Wagner scored on a Beauregard ground out to provide a five run advantage. Wheaton added another insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when it loaded the bases again with no outs. Maher, junior left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) and Wagner all reached via the single, including a bunt from Wagner. One batter later, Wensley grounded out to plate the sixth run of the game for the Lyons.
Maher (lead-off walk) and Wagner (single) both reached with two outs, but it looked like Springfield would have a chance to put together a rally in the ninth with one more out to go. The chance never came. Wensley was hit by a pitch to load the bases, before Bellan delivered a two-run double to left and Beauregard followed with a single to center to plate two more runs to give Wheaton a 10-1 advantage. Guindon cracked a double to center to bring home Beauregard with the 11th run to create the 10-run difference to end the game.
