NORTON, Mass. — Sophomore third baseman Casey Wensley (Raynham, Mass.) hit a pair of home runs and knocked in four runs to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team to a 15-7 victory over visiting Nichols College this afternoon at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The win also marked the 800th career victory for Wheaton Head Coach Eric Podbelski. He is now the 16th active head coach in NCAA Division III to reach the milestone and the 35th all-time in NCAA III. Podbelski, who is currently in his 28th season, is the only Head Coach in program history, so the win was also the 800th in program annals.
The Lyons improve to 5-6 on the season, while the Bison slip to 5-3.
Wheaton rapped out 13 hits and scored a season-high nine runs in the fifth inning to fuel the win. Nichols scored twice in the top of the fifth to cut its deficit in half at 4-2, before the Lyons broke out in the bottom of the frame.
Wensley was 4-5 with a pair of home runs, a double and a single for a count of 11 total bases for the fifth-highest mark in a game in school history. He also scored four times for Wheaton. Senior first baseman Timmy Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) knocked in four runs as well after going 2-3 with a homer in addition to scoring two runs and drawing a walk. Senior left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) was 3-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored, while sophomore center fielder Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) drove in a pair of runs, scored three times, drew two walks and stole two bases during a 1-3 effort at the plate. Junior starting pitcher Ben Oliveira (Somerset, Mass.) earned the win to improve to 1-1 on the season after giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts in five innings.
Junior catcher Liam Flynn (Charlestown, R.I.) and senior right fielder Karl Miller (Sandy Hook, Conn.) each homered and collected a pair of doubles to knock in two runs apiece to lead the Bison. First year starting right-handed pitcher Ashton Hammond (Lewiston, Maine) (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on three hits, while fanning two batters in two innings pitched.
The Lyons scored twice in the bottom of the first to crack the scoring column and take a 2-0 lead. Wensley laced a two-out single through the right side and Wagner crushed his third round-tripper of the season over the left field fence for the home team's two-run lead.
Wheaton tacked on single runs in the second and third to increase its lead to 4-0. Matos supplied both runs, leading off the third with a blast over the right-center field fence and then ripping an RBI single to right field to plate Lamond, who had walked and stolen second base in the fourth. Matos' homer was the 20th of his career to move him into a tie for fourth on the Lyons' all-time list.
Nichols got on the board with a pair of runs in the fifth to pull within 4-2. Senior left fielder Stanley Cipkas (Marlborough, Conn.) worked a one-out walk and scored when first baseman Jacob Tipton (East Hartford, Conn.) singled to left field, but the Wheaton left fielder misplayed the ball, allowing Cipkas to score and Tipton to move up to second on the play. Senior designated hitter Luis Vargas (West Hartford, Conn.) followed with a run-scoring single to center field to bring home Tipton with the second run for the visitors.
The Lyons sent 14 batters to the plate in the fifth and nine of them scored to give them a comfortable 13-2 cushion. Wensley began the frame by belting a long ball over the fence in right center. Wagner was hit by a pitch and, following an out, Wheaton saw nine straight hitters reach base safely. Matos and sophomore catcher Tyler Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) each singled to load the bases with one out. Wagner scampered home on a wild pitch and Matos scored on an RBI single up the middle off the bat of junior shortstop Ray Toth (Granby, Mass.) to bump Wheaton's margin to 7-2. First year Dwayne Burgo Jr. (Taunton, Mass.) was issued a free pass to re-load the bases, before senior second baseman Tommy Beauregard (Salem, Mass.) also reached on four balls to force in another run. Lamond served a two-run single to left and Wensley followed with an RBI double to make it 11-2. Wagner continued the offensive outburst for the Lyons, dumping a single to center to plate two more runs and give the home team an 11-run advantage.
The Bison scored three runs in the sixth to cut the margin to 13-5. Nichols didn't waste any time with Flynn smacking a double down the right field line, before Miller cracked a two-run home run. Sophomore second baseman Anthony Hackert (Danbury, Conn.) reached on an error and later came around to score on a sacrifice fly to center from Tipton.
The teams traded two-run innings before the final was set. Lamond walked and stole second before Wensley launched his second homer of the day for Wheaton and third of the season to match Wagner for the team lead.
The Bison also went deep for its final two runs in the top of the ninth. Senior center fielder Ben Jerome (Waterford, Conn.) reached on a fielder's choice and Flynn crushed his third home run of the year as well.
The Lyons return to the diamond on Saturday, March 22 when they travel to Hartford, Conn. to take on University of Hartford at 11:00 a.m., while Nichols hosts a Conference of New England twinbill on the same day with No. 4 Endicott College at 11:30 a.m.
