BABSON PARK, Mass. — Junior center fielder Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) and senior first baseman Colin Reilly (Marshfield, Mass.) knocked in three runs apiece to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team over host Babson College, 10-4, this afternoon in the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference opener at Govoni Field in Babson Park, Mass.
The Lyons have won three of their last four and improve to 9-3 overall and 1-0 in league play, while the Beavers slip to 4-7 and 0-1.
Wheaton registered nine hits and scored double-digits in runs for the fifth time this season. The teams combined to commit eight errors for the afternoon, including five by Babson.
The Lyons scored three times in the top of the third and three more runs in the fourth to take a 6-0 advantage, before the Beavers cut the margin in half with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. Wheaton scored the next four runs over the next five frames to effectively put the game out of reach.
Lamond was 3-4 with a home run, three runs batted in, three runs scored and a pair of walks, while Reilly was 1-5 with a double and a run scored for the Lyons. First year left fielder Brayden Lewis (Hopedale, Mass.) extended his hitting streak to 11 with a single and drove in a pair of runs to go with a stolen base. Senior third baseman Ray Toth (Granby, Mass.) contributed, going 2-4 with a run and a walk. Senior left-hander Evan Mello (New Bedford, Mass.) earned the victory in relief to improve to 1-0 after tossing two scoreless frames without surrendering a hit, while giving up two walks and striking out a batter.
Sophomore center fielder Ben Valente (Newton, Mass.) drove in a pair of runs on a 1-4 effort with a double for Babson. Junior first baseman Connor Frickey (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was 1-3 with an RBI, a run scored and two walks and junior right fielder Ryan Liss (Hollywood, Fla.) knocked in a run with a double and scored a run. Junior starting righty Jason Finkelstein (Walpole, Mass.) took the loss after giving up six runs (five earned) on three hits, three walks and a trio of hit batters to go with a pair of strikeouts and drops to 0-2 on the year.
Wheaton took a 3-0 lead with the benefit of two hit batters in the inning and a sacrifice bunt that did not result in an out. Junior catcher Ty Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) was hit by a pitch on a 2-2 pitch, before senior second baseman Marcus Rodrigues (Lincoln, R.I.) put down a sacrifice bunt that Bellan was safe at second after the throw to the middle base was not on time. Lamond drew a walk to load the bases with no outs to set up Reilly taking a pitch off his front shoulder to force in Bellan from third with the game's first run. Rodrigues made it 2-0 after scoring on a double play ball that left Lamond at third base with two outs. The Beavers were unable to prevent another run as Lewis singled through the left side to plate Lamond with the third run of the day for the visitors.
The Lyons doubled their advantage with three more runs in the fourth to increase their cushion to 6-0. Rodrigues singled to left and Lamond drew his second walk in as many innings, before Reilly drove a two-run double to the gap in right-center field to give Wheaton a 5-0 lead. Reilly later scored the sixth run on a fielder's choice off the bat of Lewis.
Babson rapped out a pair of doubles in the bottom of the inning as part of a three-run outburst to cut the deficit in half at 6-3. The first five batters in the inning all reached safely. Frickey worked a lead-off walk and went to second on a single to right field from junior catcher Jack Moses (Belle Mead, N.J.). Liss laced a double down the right field line to bring Frickey around to score the first marker of the contest for the home team, while putting two runners in scoring position with no outs. Valente traded places with Liss with a double to right-center field to plate both runners and make it a three-run game again. Senior second baseman Zander Teator (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) and sophomore left fielder Dylan Drazka (Rye Brook, N.Y.) were both hit by pitches to load the bases with one out, but Mello was able to induce a timely double-play to get the Lyons out of the inning.
Wheaton took advantage of a pair of Beaver errors to get a run back in the top of the fifth to take a 7-3 advantage. The Lyons bumped their lead back to six with two more runs in the top of the seventh. Wheaton loaded the bases with one out after Toth ripped a single up the middle to open the frame, before first year shortstop Evan Jones (West Haven, Conn.) drew a walk and Rodrigues reached on an infield single. Lamond delivered a two-run single up the middle to bring Toth and Jones around to score the eighth and ninth runs for the Lyons. Lamond struck again in the top of the ninth for Wheaton with his team-leading third long ball of the season on a solo shot to give the Lyons a 10-3 lead.
Babson threatened to produce a big inning in the ninth, but managed just one run, despite four straight hits to open the frame. Drazka, first year shortstop Bobby Christensen (Scotch Plains, N.J.) and graduate student designated hitter Ryan Grace (Concord, Mass.) all singled to push the sacks full. Frickey reached on fielder's choice to score Drazka with the fourth Beaver run. Senior lefty reliever Josh Fischer (Plymouth, Mass.) got the game-ender with a double play to secure the win for Wheaton.
The Lyons return to action on Thursday, March 26 when they travel to Providence, R.I. to take on Rhode Island College at 3:30 p.m., while Babson hosts Suffolk University tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.
