MEDFORD, Mass. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team rallied for three runs between the eighth and ninth innings, but fell short in a 6-4 loss at host Tufts University this afternoon at Sol Gittleman Park in Medford, Mass.
The Lyons slip to 9-5 on the season, while the Jumbos win their third in a row and five of their last six to improve to 10-7.
Wheaton outhit its host, 9-8, but three walks and a pair of doubles proved to be the Lyons' undoing in the bottom of the seventh, leading to four Tufts' runs. The Jumbos owned a 6-1 lead, heading into the eighth inning, before Wheaton scored twice in the eighth and once in the ninth to cut the deficit to two, but Tufts held on for the win.
Junior left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) hit a two-run home run and senior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) and classmate Tommy Ambrosone (Hopkinton, Mass.) each knocked in a run for the Lyons. Wheaton received a hit from every batter in its lineup. Junior left-handed starter Josh Fischer (Hopkinton, Mass.) suffered the loss to drop to 0-1 after giving up two runs on five hits and a walk in addition to a pair of strikeouts in six innings of work.
First year right fielder Malachi Pena (Albuquerque, N.M.) led the Jumbos with a 3-4 effort, including a double and two RBI, while senior catcher Connor Brala (Villanova, Pa.) hit a solo homer and drew a walk in three plate appearances. Junior center fielder Henry Fleckner (Weston, Mass.) also contributed with a run-scoring double in four at-bats. Sophomore southpaw Charlie Biskupiak (Canton, Conn.) was one of nine Tufts pitchers to toe the rubber during the game and earned the win in relief to improve to 1-0 after tossing a scoreless inning on one hit to go with a strikeout. Senior Robert Gray (Lake Forest, Ill.) picked up his second save after yielding one run on two hits and two strikeouts.
The Lyons were quick to climb to within 6-3 in the eighth after senior shortstop Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) opened the frame by being hit by a pitch and trotted home ahead of Matos' second long ball of the season. Wheaton tacked on its fourth run in the top of the ninth to make it a two-run game. Junior second baseman Tommy Beauregard (Salem, Mass.) cracked a double to right center field, before Guindon reached on an infield single to put runners on the corners with one out. Ambrosone lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate Beauregard with the fourth and final run of the game to make it 6-4.
The Lyons flirted with a big inning in the second after loading the bases with one out, but managed to come away with just one run and a 1-0 edge. First year designated hitter Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) and classmate Tyler Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) each reached on infield singles with one out, before Beauregard worked a walk to push the sacks full. Lamond's knock was the first of his career. Guindon followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Lamond and give Wheaton an early one-run margin.
The Jumbos countered with single runs in the bottom of the third and fourth innings to take a 2-1 lead. Brala tied the game with one swing of the bat resulting in his second home run of the season in the third inning. Tufts added the second run in the fourth after loading the bases with one out. Senior third baseman Patrick Solomon (Northborough, Mass.) flew out to center field and Pena, who had singled earlier in the frame, scampered home with the go-ahead run.
The Jumbos got some breathing room in the seventh with a four-run effort that gave them a 6-1 lead. Solomon and Brala opened the inning with back-to-back walks, before both runners moved into scoring position after a sacrifice bunt. Solomon scored the home team's third run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior designated hitter Ben Leonard (Medfield, Mass.). Sophomore second baseman Jesse McCullough (Sudbury, Mass.) drew a walk and Fleckner followed with a double to left to give the Jumbos a three-run advantage. Pena followed suit with a two-out double of his own to drive in both McCullough and Fleckner to increase Tufts' cushion to 6-1.
The Lyons return to action tomorrow (April 2) when they host Worcester Polytechnic Institute at Sidell Stadium for a conference contest at 3:30 p.m., while the Jumbos head to Lewiston, Maine for the first of a three-game conference set with Bates College on April 5 at 3:00 p.m.
