PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team defeated host Rhode Island College, 3-1, this afternoon at Pontarelli Field in Providence, R.I.

The Lyons, who received votes in the most recent American Baseball Coaches Association national poll, win their third in a row and four of their last five to improve to 10-3 on the season, while the Anchormen dip to 1-9.

The teams combined for just seven hits on the day, including four for Wheaton.

The Lyons opened the scoring with a run in the third and added two more in the fifth, before Rhode Island College got on the board with its only run of the afternoon in the bottom of the sixth.

Junior center fielder Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) reached base three times on the day with a single and a pair of walks and also scored a run for Wheaton. First year left fielder Brayden Lewis (Hopedale, Mass.) was 1-3 with a walk and a run scored, while senior catcher Nick Giangregorio (Belmont, Mass.) was 1-3 and sophomore second baseman Logan Downey (Warwick, R.I.) was 1-4. Sophomore righty starting pitcher Jack Ritchie (Raynham, Mass.) picked up the win to improve to 2-0 on the season after hurling three innings of one-hit ball, while striking out three batters. The Lyons bullpen closed out the game with four scoreless innings from four different pitchers, including sophomore Jack Cali (East Taunton, Mass.), who picked up his first collegiate save after retiring all three batters he faced, including one on strikes.

Junior center fielder Parker Camelo (Bristol, R.I.) (double) and senior right fielder CJ Almagno (North Providence, R.I.) (triple) were both 1-3 with a walk to pace the RIC offense. Sophomore left fielder George Threats (Cranston, R.I.) was 1-5 from the top of the Anchormen lineup. Junior right-handed starting pitcher Stephen Sullivan (Acton, Mass.) was saddled with the loss to drop to 1-1 after giving up a run on one hit and five walks to go with six strikeouts  in four innings of work.

Wheaton cracked the scoring column with a run in the top of the third to take a 1-0 edge. The Lyons loaded the bases with two outs when Lamond singled, senior first baseman Collin Reilly (Marshfield, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice and Lewis drew one of six walks issued to Wheaton hitters on the afternoon. Sophomore right fielder Dwayne Burgo Jr. (Taunton, Mass.) hit a slow chopper to shortstop, but Lewis pulled into second before the throw arrived and all the runners were safe, including Lamond crossing the plate with the first run of the contest. Sullivan got out of the jam with a strikeout to limit the damage. 

The Lyons tacked on two more runs in the fifth to take a three-run lead. Reilly opened the frame by getting hit by a pitch for a team-high ninth time this season, before Lewis laced a single through the left side that got past the Rhode Island College left fielder, enabling Reilly to come around to score and put Lewis on second base with no outs. Lewis scampered to third base on a wild pitch, before getting a run down later in the inning. Lewis charged down the line as Downey squared around to bunt, but he was unable to get the bunt down and Lewis was hung up on the base paths. The rookie was able to draw a throw going back to third, but retreated back toward the plate and beat the tag to score the visitors' third run of the game for a 3-0 lead. 

RIC put their only run on the board after loading the bases with no outs in the sixth inning. Senior catcher Sean Gallagher (Warwick, R.I.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, before Camelo cracked a double off the fence in the left field corner to put both runners in scoring position. Almagno drew a walk to push the sacks full. Senior right-handed reliever Jack Feltovic (Hadley, Mass.) came on for Wheaton and induced a fly ball to center field off the bat of first year shortstop Ryan O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) that resulted in a sacrifice fly to plate Gallagher and cut the deficit to 3-1. Feltovic set the next two batters down in order to end the threat and keep the Lyons' two-run lead intact.

The Anchormen threatened again in the bottom of the seventh when they loaded the bases with two outs on a dropped third strike, a hit batter and a walk. Almagno hit a fly ball to the gap in right center field, but Burgo Jr. ran it down from his spot in right field to end the inning for Wheaton. 

The Lyons return to the diamond on Sunday, March 29 when they travel to Newport, R.I. to take on No. 3/4 Salve Regina University in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader action at 12:00 p.m., while Rhode Island College heads to Gorham, Maine for a Little East Conference twinbill with University of Southern Maine at 12:00 p.m.