NORTON, Mass. – Junior first baseman Timmy Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) drove in two runs, including the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team over visiting Clark University, 6-5, this afternoon in the first game of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 13-6 overall and 7-1 in NEWMAC play, while the Cougars fall to 17-10 and 2-6.
Wheaton got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fourth, before Clark took its only lead of the game with a pair of runs in the fifth to take a one-run edge. The Lyons responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-2 margin, before the Cougars rallied for three runs to knot the game at 5-5 in the seventh. Wheaton took the lead for good with a run in the bottom of the frame.
Wagner was 3-4 with a double and a run scored for the Lyons, while first year third baseman Casey Wensley (Raynham, Mass.) was 1-2 with a double, a walk, a stolen base and two RBI. Senior shortstop Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) also contributed with a two-run home run and classmate Tommy Ambrosone (Hopkinton, Mass.) was 2-3 with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Junior right-handed reliever Jackson Walsh (Cumberland, R.I.) was credited with the victory to improve to 3-0 with two-thirds of an inning pitched, while allowing a run on three hits. Junior starting pitcher Ryan McCarroll (Clifton Park, N.Y.) gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk to go with nine strikeouts in six and a third innings pitched. Junior reliever Joe Mulhern (Taunton, Mass.) earned his fifth save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning to nail down the win.
Clark rapped out 10 hits and was led by junior shortstop Tyler Jones (West Haven, Conn.), who was 2-4 with a double and a run batted in. Graduate student left fielder Ryan Caulfield (Simsbury, Conn.) was 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored from the top of the order and junior catcher Ryan Bonja (Sturbridge, Mass.) was 1-4 with two runs batted in. Sophomore pitcher Tommy Flaherty (London, England) took the loss in relief to drop to 3-3 after yielding an unearned run on a hit to go with a strikeout in three innings of work.
The Cougars rallied for three runs in the seventh to tie the game, but Wheaton countered with a run in the bottom of the inning for the difference. Ambrosone reached on an infield error and later scored with two outs when Wagner ripped an RBI single up the middle to give the home team a 7-6 edge.
The Lyons opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 1-0 margin. Junior left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) opened the frame with an opposite field double down the left field line, before Wagner pushed a bunt single down the third base line to put Matos on third. Wensley delivered with a sacrifice fly to left to plate Matos.
Clark got the run back in the top half of the fifth when sophomore Michael Soares (Concord, Mass.) dumped a double into left field and sophomore Brayden Hollinrake (Goffstown, N.H.) singled to right to put runners on the corners with one out. Soares scored on an infield error to pull the visitors even, before a sacrifice fly from Caulfield brought home Hollinrake with the second Cougar run.
Clark's lead was short-lived thanks to a four-run rally in the bottom of the inning that put Wheaton on top, 5-2. Ambrosone drew a two-out walk and Maher hit an opposite field homer to right field to give the Lyons a 3-2 edge. Matos followed with a single to center, before back-to-back doubles from Wagner and Wensley pushed the home team in front, 5-2.
The Cougars strung together five straight hits as part of a three-run seventh to tie the game. Caulfield, sophomore Dom Mariani (Walpole, Mass.) and junior Carter Doran (Natick, Mass.) all singled to load the bases with one out. Bonja came through with a two-run single to left field, before Jones ripped a double to plate Clark's fifth run. The knock could have easily been a triple, but Bonja was eliminated at the plate on a relay from left field that kept it a tie game and proved to be pivotal in the game's outcome.
