NORTON, Mass. — Senior left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) became the first player in school history to hit three home runs in a game to power the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team over visiting Rhode Island College, 12-3, this afternoon at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons have won three in a row and five of their last six to improve to 9-7 on the season, while the Anchormen fall to 6-9.
Wheaton pounded out 14 hits in the game, including seven extra base knocks. All but one hitter in the home team's lineup scored at least one run. The Lyons led 4-3, before scoring six times in the bottom of the fifth to break the game open with a 10-3 advantage.
Matos' three-homer game was the fourth multi-longball outing of his career to extend his school record. He now has 23 career round-trippers to move him into third on Wheaton's all-time home run list. Matos finished the day going, 3-4 with five runs batted in and three runs scored. Sophomore center fielder Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) reached base safely five times with a pair of doubles, two walks and a single, while driving in two runs and scoring once. Senior second baseman Tommy Beauregard (Salem, Mass.) was 3-3 with a walk, a double, two RBI and a pair of runs scored and sophomore catcher Tyler Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) finished the day going 2-5 with a double and a pair of runs scored. First year righty Evan Yakavonis (Whitman, Mass.) earned the victory in relief to improve to 2-0, giving up a run on four hits and a walk to go with a strikeout in a career-high three innings pitched. The rest of the Lyons' bullpen was outstanding, allowing just four hits during four and two-thirds innings of scoreless ball, while fanning four batters without issuing a walk.
Senior catcher Lucas Pierce (Chepachet, R.I.) paced Rhode Island College at the plate with a 2-4 effort that produced an RBI and a run scored. Senior third baseman Cal Parrillo (Greenville, R.I.) also collected multiple hits, going 2-3 with a run scored. Senior right-handed reliever Garrett Bolwell (Chepachet, R.I.) suffered the loss to drop to 0-1 after giving up two runs on three hits and three walks in two innings of relief.
The Anchormen took advantage of some pitching wildness to score a pair of runs in the top of the second to get on the board first. Pierce led off the frame with a single through the left side, before Parrillo drew a one-out walk. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a passed ball and Pierce scored on a wild pitch for the first run of the ballgame. Junior designated hitter Sean Gallagher (Warwick, R.I.) and junior right fielder Jeren Pimentel (Boston, Mass.) followed with back-to-back walks to load the bases to set up a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of junior center fielder Lucas McElroy (Westport, Mass.) to double the visitors' lead to 2-0.
Wheaton got both runs back in the bottom of the inning to knot the contest at 2-2. Bellan opened the inning with a double down the left field line, before first year right fielder Dwayne Burgo Jr. (Taunton, Mass.) reached on an infield single to put runners on the corners with one out. Beauregard followed with a sacrifice fly to center, before Lamond belted a two-out double to the left-center gap to plate the second run for the Lyons.
Wheaton tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third to take a 4-2 margin. Matos blasted his first long ball of the day over the right field scoreboard to give the Lyons the lead for good at 3-2. Bellan followed with a single to center and later scored on a two-out single to right field off the bat of Beauregard for Wheaton's fourth run.
Rhode Island College put together four hits in the fifth, but the Lyons managed to limit their guests to just one run in the frame and hang on to a 4-3 edge. Senior left fielder Justin Wardwell (Westport, Mass.) and senior first baseman Daniel Trzepacz (Mont Vernon, N.H.) collected back-to-back singles to set up an RBI single to left from Pierce. Senior shortstop Izaiah Rivera (Pawtucket, R.I.) registered the fourth straight single of the inning to load the bases with one out, but Yakavonis induced a double play to end the threat and strand all three runners.
Wheaton erupted for six runs to effectively put the game out of reach at 10-3 after five complete innings. The Lyons loaded the bases with one out after junior shortstop Ray Toth (Granby, Mass.) singled and Beauregard and Lamond drew consecutive base on balls. Toth scored the fifth Wheaton run, scampering home on a wild pitch, before sophomore third baseman Casey Wensley (Raynham, Mass.) reloaded the bases with a walk. Senior first baseman Timmy Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) knocked in a run with an infield single and sophomore designated hitter Nick Ayres (Duxbury, Mass.) drove in another run with a ground out. Matos struck the big blow of the frame with a three-run blast that sailed over the fence in right-center field to give the Lyons their 10th run of the afternoon.
Wheaton added single runs in the sixth and seventh to finish the day's scoring and give it a 12-3 cushion. Lamond singled home a run in the sixth and Matos made history in the seventh with his third homer of the day, clearing the right field fence.
The Lyons return to action on Saturday, March 29 when they travel to Springfield, Mass. to take on New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference foe Springfield College for a Noon twinbill, while the Anchormen head to Keene, N.H. tomorrow for a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader against Little East Conference rival Keene State College.
