WALTHAM, Mass. – Six Wheaton College (Mass.) pitchers combined on a one-hit shutout and junior designated hitter Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) knocked in two runs in a 2-0 victory over host Brandeis University this evening at Stein Baseball Diamond in Waltham, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 18-12 on the season, while the Judges finish their season at 6-31 in their final game of the season.
Wheaton scored all the runs it would need in the third inning, crossing the plate twice.
First year right-handed pitcher Greg Strite (San Jose, Calif.) made his first collegiate start and tossed three hitless innings with no walks and four strikeouts to earn his first career victory, before yielding to sophomore Matthew Fais (Franklin Lakes, N.J.), who gave up one hit and two bases on balls and struck out three in two frames. First year Chris Carbonara (Brockton, Mass.) hurled a hitless inning that included a pair of walks and a strikeout and senior left-hander Matthew Pizzelli (Weymouth, Mass.) hit a batter and walked a hitter in relief. First year Jack Feltovic (Hadley, Mass.) need just seven pitches to hurl a hitless seventh inning and fanned a batter, before senior Liam Goldthwaite (Braintree, Mass.) retired all six batters he faced over the final two frames, including five strikeouts, to earn his fifth save of the year. Wheaton pitching struck out 14 batters in the game.
Matos finished the night going 1-4 for the Lyons, while senior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) was 2-4 with a run scored. Senior right fielder Tommy Ambrosone (Hopkinton, Mass.) also recorded a multi-hit effort with two singles in three at-bats to go with a walk.
First year designated hitter Dylan Walsh (Arlington, Mass.) was 1-3 to lead Brandeis at the plate. Senior right-handed starter Sean Decker-Jacoby (Los Angeles, Calif.) suffered the loss to drop to 1-8 after giving up two runs on seven hits and a walk to go with six strikeouts in six and a third innings of work.
Wheaton scored both of its runs in the third inning after loading the bases with two outs. Guindon ripped a single up the middle, before first year third baseman Casey Wensley (Raynham, Mass.) served a single to right center. Junior first baseman Timmy Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) drew a two-out walk to load the bases for Matos. The left-handed hitter came through with a single up the middle to drive in both Guindon and Wensley to give the Lyons a 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Wheaton's pitchers were turning in a memorable performance. Strite retired all nine batters he faced to start the game. First year center fielder Connor Crowley (Guilford, Conn.) drew a lead-off walk in the fourth to give the Judges their first base runner of the game, but he was quickly erased trying to steal second base to keep the minimum number of batters in check. Graduate student first baseman Eddie Zanor (Branford, Conn.) worked a walk in between a pair of strikeouts to give the Lyons a no-hitter through four and two-thirds innings of work. Walsh singled down the left field line to break up the no-no and represent the only hit of the contest for Brandeis.
The Judges drew a pair of walks with two outs in the sixth inning with senior second baseman Mike DiCenso (Cranston, R.I.) and graduate student right fielder Jake Freed (Vernon Hills, Ill.) each receiving back-to-back free passes, before Carbonara fanned the next batter to end the inning. Brandeis put a pair of runners on base via a hit batter and base on balls with no outs in the seventh, but Feltovic got a strikeout and the next batter to line into a double play to quell the threat for Wheaton.
Goldthwaite struck out the first three batters he faced for a perfect eighth inning and the final two batters to close out the night for the Lyons.
Wheaton returns to action tomorrow when it hosts University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at 3:30 p.m. at Sidell Stadium.
