NORTON, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team was defeated by visiting United States Coast Guard Academy, 16-2, this afternoon in a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference game at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass. The game was halted after seven innings due to the NEWMAC's 10-run mercy rule.
The Lyons fall to 14-7 overall and 8-2 in league play, while the Bears win their fourth in a row to improve to 16-7 overall and 6-2 in league play.
Coast Guard scored three or more runs in four different innings, including five runs in both the second and sixth innings. Wheaton scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings.
Senior right fielder Tommy Ambrosone (Hopkinton, Mass.) led the Lyons' offense going 2-3 with a double and two runs scored. Junior southpaw starting pitcher Josh Fischer (Hopkinton, Mass.) suffered the loss to drop to 0-2 after allowing seven runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk to go with six strikeouts in two and a third innings pitched.
Junior second baseman Wyatt Duthu (Madison, Ala.) led a 17-hit attack with a grand slam home run and knocked in a total of five runs to lead the Bears. Duthu was 2-5 with a walk and two runs scored from the leadoff spot, while sophomore shortstop Richard Barkley (Bellevue, Wash.) was 2-3 with a homer to set the Bears' single season record with his 10th long ball of the season. He knocked in three runs, drew a pair of walks and scored three times. First year first baseman Nathan Stafford (Jupiter, Fla.) was 4-5 with two RBI and two runs scored and senior designated hitter John Tacchini (Klamath Falls, Ore.) finished the day going 4-5 with a run batted in and three runs scored. Overshadowed by all of Coast Guard's runs was an impressive outing by first year right-handed pitcher Sean Harmon (Bethesda, Md.), who gave up two runs on five hits and three walks to go with a strikeout to improve to 1-1 on the season with his first collegiate victory.
The Bears scored five times in the top of the second to take a 5-0 lead. Junior catcher Parker Madden (Ruston, La.) reached on an error, before Tacchini and senior left fielder John Carroll (Yardley, Pa.) each singled to load the bases. One out later, sophomore third baseman Luke Percifield (Pinellas Park, Fla.) drew a walk to force in the first run of the game, before Duthu pulled a grand slam homer over the right field fence to give Coast Guard a five-run cushion.
The Bears added three more runs to essentially put the game out of reach in the top half of the third inning. Stafford opened the inning with a single to center and trotted home ahead of Barkley's milestone roundtripper to increase the visitors' lead to 7-0. Percifield later added an RBI single to make it 8-0.
Coast Guard scored three times again in the fourth to take an 11-0 advantage, Barkley and Tacchini each drove in a run with singles to the outfield, before Barkley later scored on a passed ball.
Wheaton got on the board in the bottom of the frame when Ambrosone ripped a double down the right field line, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly to left off the bat of junior designated hitter Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) to cut the deficit to 11-1.
The Bears ensured themselves of a mercy-rule victory with five more runs in the sixth to make it 16-1. Coast Guard loaded the bases with two outs after Barkley walked, Tacchini reached on an infield single and Percifield was hit by a pitch. Duthu added to his RBI total with a walk to force in a run. Stafford later knocked in two more runs with a single to center and Madden knocked in the 16th run with a single to right.
The Lyons looked to get some runs back in the sixth after loading the bases with one out, but managed just one run to cut the margin to 16-2. Ambrosone laced a single through the left side and sophomore pinch-hitter Justin Colpack (Easthampton, Mass.) drew a walk. First year pinch-hitter Nick Ayres (Duxbury, Mass.) followed with a single through the left side to record his first collegiate hit and push the sacks full. First year pinch-hitter Jake Preto (Walpole, Mass.) knocked in Ambrosone with a sacrifice fly for his first career RBI to bring home Wheaton's second run, but it was the final run of the game.
The Lyons return to action on Thursday, April 18 when they travel to Willimantic, Conn. to take on No. 15 Eastern Connecticut State University at 6:00 p.m., while Coast Guard hosts cross-town rival Mitchell College on the same day for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch.
