NORTON, Mass. – Senior left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) knocked in a career-high eight runs to fall one run batted in short of tying the school record and lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team over visiting Tufts University, 17-9, this afternoon at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 17-15 on the season, while the Jumbos fall to 13-17.
Each team rapped out 14 hits apiece in the game. Wheaton also drew 13 walks in the game and left 16 runners on base. The teams combined for 26 runs to top their previous effort that resulted in a 14-11 win for the Lyons on March 9 at Tufts to give the teams a combined total of 51 runs scored in two games against each other this season.
The Jumbos opened the scoring with four runs in the top of the first, before Wheaton matched the total with four runs of its own in the bottom of the frame. The Lyons scored two more in the second, one in the third and a pair in the fourth to take a 9-4 lead, before breaking the game open with a six-run sixth to increase their margin to 15-4. Tufts scored five runs over the final three innings, while Wheaton scored twice in the seventh to set the final.
Matos' RBI total included his second grand slam of the season to become the fourth player in school history to hit two slams in a season for the Lyons. It also marks the third bases-full homer of his career to rank one shy of the program's all-time career mark. Matos was 3-6 in the game with a homer, a double and two runs scored. He fell just one short of Phil Desilets' nine-RBI effort on May 6, 1999 vs. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He now has 136 career runs batted in to tie for seventh with Eric Jensen (2010-13) on the school's all-time leaderboard.
Wheaton senior first baseman Timmy Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) reached base six times, including a school-record tying five walks to match Will Bissonnette's total established on May 7, 1999 vs. Colby-Sawyer College. He finished 1-1 with a double, two runs batted in and three runs scored. Sophomore catcher Tyler Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) was 2-5 with two RBI, a run scored and a walk, while sophomore third baseman Casey Wensley (Raynham, Mass.) was 3-6 with four runs scored, a run batted in and a walk. First year right-handed pitcher Jack Ritchie (Raynham, Mass.) (1-1) was credited with his first collegiate win as the Lyons' opener after allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk to go with three strikeouts in three innings of work.
First year third baseman James Henshon (Wellesley, Mass.) led all hitters with four hits in five at-bats and added two RBI and a pair of runs scored. Sophomore first baseman AJ Lysko (Canton, Mass.) put together a 2-5 day with a run batted in and two runs scored, while first year Brody Minick (Miami, Fla.) was 1-2 with a double and an RBI. Graduate student righty reliever Hunter Beindorff (Lone Tree, Colo.) was one of 11 pitchers used in the game by Tufts and was saddled with the loss to drop to 0-2 after giving up two runs on four hits in one inning of work.
Wheaton scored four times in the bottom of the first, to erase a 4-0 deficit, as part of 15 unanswered runs over the next six innings. Sophomore center fielder Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) reached on an infield error, Wensley singled to right field and Wagner drew his first walk of the day to load the bases for Matos. The left fielder delivered with his 10th blast of the season over the right field fence to pull the Lyons even at 4-4.
Just one inning later, Wensley served a two-out single to right and Wagner followed with a double to center, before Matos came through with a two-run single through the right side to give Wheaton a 6-4 lead after two frames.
The Lyons loaded the bases for the second time in three innings when first year second baseman Logan Downey (Warwick, R.I.) worked a leadoff walk, senior designated hitter Tommy Beauregard (Salem, Mass.) singled to right and Lamond was issued a free pass with one out. Wagner saw four more balls off the plate to draw an RBI base on balls to force in Wheaton's seventh run of the day.
The Lyons loaded the bases again in the fourth and managed to score two more runs and continue the pressure on the Jumbos. Bellan reached on an infield error, junior shortstop Ray Toth (Granby, Mass.) walked and first year right fielder Declan Lush (Seekonk, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to push the sacks full. Beauregard was also plunked by a pitch to force in another Wheaton run. Lamond followed with a sacrifice fly to center to give the home team a 9-4 difference.
The Lyons started to put the game away with six runs in the sixth to inflate their cushion to a count of 15-4. The first three batters all reached to load the bases once again. Downey was hit by a pitch and Lush and Beauregard followed with back-to-back walks. One out later, Wensley and Wagner were each issued free passes to drive in a run each time. Matos came through again with a two-run double to right field, before Bellan ripped a single to the right-center gap to plate two more runs and give the Lyons an 11-run lead.
Tufts scored its first runs since the opening frame with two runs in the top of the seventh to cut the deficit to 15-6. Henshon laced a single up the middle and senior Henry Fleckner (Weston, Mass.) ripped a double down the left field line to put both runners in scoring position with one out. Henshon scored on a ground out and Fleckner came home ahead of a pinch-double off the bat of Minick down the left field line.
Wheaton tacked on its final runs of the day in the bottom of the inning to boast a 17-6 margin. Lamond belted a lead-off double to left field, before Wensley singled through the right side to put both runners in scoring position with no outs. Lamond scored on a wild pitch and Wensley later scampered home on a sacrifice fly to right field off the bat of Toth.
The Jumbos got two runs back in the top of the eighth and another run in the ninth to close within 17-9. Sophomore pinch-hitter Max Pavlik (Clarendon Hills, Ill.) and graduate student Ozzie Fleischer (Fort Worth, Texas) opened the frame with consecutive singles, before moving up a base on a ground out. Senior Ben Leonard (Medfield, Mass.) then grounded out to second to drive in the first run of the inning, before Henshon singled through the left side to knock in Tufts' eighth run of the afternoon. Tufts capped the scoring with a run in the ninth after loading the bases with two outs. Lysko reached on an error and Pavlik and Fleischer each walked. Sophomore Ian Robertson (Traverse City, Mich.) drew the third straight walk of the inning to force in the final run of the day.
The Jumbos scored four runs on five hits to open the game in the top half of the first inning. Leonard doubled to right and came around to score ahead of a single by Henshon, combined with a throwing error. Henshon had moved to third on the same miscue and scored on a ground out to clear the bases. Lysko and junior Owen McKiernan (Durham, N.H.) each singled to put runners on the corners with two outs. Banner punched a single to right field to bring home Lysko, while McKiernan also scored on an error during the play.
The Lyons return to the diamond on Saturday, April 26 when they host Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at Sidell Stadium for a 12:00 p.m. first pitch, while Tufts heads to Waterville, Maine to take on Colby College on April 25 at 4:00 p.m.
