DAVENPORT, Fla. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team scored double-digit runs for the fourth time and earned its fifth comeback win of the season in a 10-4 victory over Husson University this afternoon at Northeast Regional Park in Davenport, Fla. as part of the RussMatt Central Baseball Invitational.
The Lyons improve to 6-1 on the season, while the Eagles drop to 1-5.
Wheaton trailed 3-0 after one and 4-2 after two innings, before scoring three runs in the third to take the lead for good at 5-4. The Blue and White used small ball to their advantage with five sacrifice hits to match the school record achieved twice before against Suffolk University on March 21, 2014 and Brandeis University on March 28, 2006.
First year left fielder Brayden Lewis (Hopedale, Mass.) put together the first three-hit effort of his career to extend his hitting streak to six and knocked in a run to go with a stolen base for the Lyons. Senior first baseman Collin Reilly (Marshfield, Mass.) finished 2-4 with a pair of doubles to give him his fifth multi-hit outing for the season, while scoring multiple runs with two for the fifth time this year. Junior catcher Ty Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) was 2-2 with a run batted in and a run scored, while first year left fielder Derek Babineau Jr. (Scituate, Mass.) registered his first collegiate game with multiple hits after a 2-3 showing to go with a pair of walks, a run batted in and a stolen base. Junior southpaw starting pitcher Aiden Cardoza (Dartmouth, Mass.) earned the victory to improve to 1-0 on the season after allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts in five innings pitched. Wheaton relievers John DeBarber (Seymour, Conn.) and Josh Fischer (Plymouth, Mass.) combined to hurl four innings of one-hit ball, while fanning three batters to close out the game.
Junior right fielder Matt Holmes (Bangor, Maine) knocked in a game-high two runs for Husson and senior first baseman Cam Rendell (Ingramport, N.S.) was 1-4 with an RBI. Junior left fielder Henry Lausier (Saco, Maine) contributed by going 1-4 with a double, while junior catcher Tanner Crowley (Franklin, N.H.) doubled in four at-bats as well. Sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Avery Lawrence (Portland, Maine) received the loss to drop to 0-2. He gave up five runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks in addition to striking out two batters in three innings.
Wheaton erased a two-run deficit with three runs in the third to take a 5-4 edge. Reilly was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and Lewis later singled to left to put runners on the corners, before Lewis stole second to put both runners in scoring position with one out. Sophomore shortstop Logan Downey (Warwick, R.I.) reached on an infield error to drive in Reilly. Senior third baseman Ray Toth (Granby, Mass.) followed with a sacrifice bunt to score Lewis from third with the tying run at 4-4. Babineau gave the Lyons their first lead with a single to center field to plate Downey with the go-ahead run.
Wheaton tacked on another run in the top of the sixth to take a 6-4 margin. Reilly led off the inning with a double down the left field line, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch.
The Lyons scored two more runs in the seventh to double up the Eagles with an 8-4 advantage. Toth opened the frame with a single up the middle and Babineau drew a walk, before both runners were moved into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Senior second baseman Marcus Rodrigues (Lincoln, R.I.) came through with a two-run single that skipped through the left side of the infield.
Wheaton added single runs in the eight and ninth innings as well to increase its cushion to 10-4. Sophomore right fielder Declan Lush (Seekonk, Mass.) led off the eighth with a triple to the right-center field gap and scored on a Lewis' fielder's choice. The Lyons' final run came in the ninth. Bellan led off with a single to center field, before junior center fielder Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) drew a one-out walk to push Lush into scoring position. First year first baseman Wyatt Soucie (North Yarmouth, Maine) delivered his first collegiate hit with an RBI single up the middle to bring home Bellan with the 10th run of the day for Wheaton.
The Eagles scored three of their four runs in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. Senior center fielder Hunter Curtis (Ellsworth, Maine) kept the inning alive when he reached base on an infield error with two outs. Lausier made the miscue hurt with a double to right field to put both runners in scoring position for Husson. Holmes followed with a single through the right side to score both runners for a 2-0 margin. Crowley followed with the third straight hit of the frame on a double to left that was combined with a throwing error to enable Holmes to score the third run.
Wheaton answered with a pair of runs in the top of the second to make it a one-run game at 3-2. Lewis singled to lead off the frame and Downey followed with a walk. Both runners were pushed into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt from Toth. Babineau worked a full-count walk to load the bases to set up a sacrifice fly to right field off the bat of Bellan to score Lewis with the Lyons' first run of the afternoon. Downey later scored on an infield error.
The Eagles padded their lead with a run in the bottom of the frame to double up on Wheaton at 4-2. Senior Colin Marshall (Greenland, N.H.) served a single to center field and stole second base, before Rendell punched a two-out single into center field to give Husson a two-run lead.
The Lyons return to action tomorrow when they take on Roger Williams University for a 9:30 a.m. first pitch at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, Fla., while the Eagles travel to Cambridge, Mass. on March 21 to play Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 1:00 p.m.
