DAVENPORT, Fla. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the seventh to come away with an 11-2 victory over Thomas College (Maine) this afternoon in the season opener for both teams at Northeast Regional Park in Davenport, Fla. as part of the RussMatt Central Baseball Invitational.
The Lyons improve to 1-0 on the season, while the Terriers fall to 0-1.
The victory was the first ever for Wheaton Head Coach Dan Tischler.
The Blue and White's offense took advantage of having 23 baserunners in the game with 12 hits, eight walks and three hit batsmen, while its pitching surrendered just three hits and four bases on balls.
Junior center fielder Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) led all hitters with three hits in five at-bats, while knocking in a pair of runs and scoring a run for the Lyons. Senior third baseman Ray Toth (Granby, Mass.) was 2-4 with pair of doubles, a run batted in and a run scored, while senior designated hitter Collin Reilly (Marshfield, Mass.) reached base five times with a pair of singles, a walk and a two hit by a pitches in addition to scoring three runs. Sophomore outfielders Declan Lush (Seekonk, Mass.) and Dwayne Burgo Jr. (Taunton, Mass.) each doubled and knocked in a pair of runs.
Wheaton sophomore righty reliever Jack Ritchie (Raynham, Mass.) was outstanding in relief, retiring all eight batters he faced, including three by strikeout to close out the game to earn the victory and improve to 1-0. Junior right-handed starting pitcher Greg Strite (San Jose, Calif.) allowed just one run on three hits, while fanning six batters and issuing a pair of walks.
First year right fielder Ajay Rychcik (Apex, N.C.) led Thomas, going 1-3 with a double, a run batted in, a run scored and a walk, while sophomore third baseman Gavin Clark (Laconia, N.H.) was 1-2 with a walk. Junior righty relief pitcher Brody Walsh (Chesterville, Maine) was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on three hits and a walk to go with a strikeout in a third of an inning of work. Junior right-handed starter Ian Libby (Gray, Maine) gave up two runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out a half dozen in six innings of work.
The Lyons sent 15 batters to the plate and nine of them scored in the seventh inning to break a 2-2 tie and give them the eventual margin of victory. Lamond sent a sharp single through the left side to give Wheaton the go-ahead run to make it 3-2. Senior first baseman Justin Colpack (Easthampton, Mass.) stepped into the box with the bases loaded and one out before being plunked by a pitch to force in another run. Lush followed with a two-run double that hopped the fence in left-center field to give Wheaton a 6-2 advantage. The Lyons re-loaded the bases for Burgo Jr., who worked a run-scoring walk, before first year pinch-hitter Brayden Lewis (Hopedale, Mass.) hit a ground ball to the infield, but the throw home to force the runner at the plate was wide, allowing two runs to score and increase Wheaton's cushion to 9-2. Senior second baseman Marcus Rodrigues (Lincoln, R.I.) hit a sacrifice fly and Lamond slapped a single up the middle to plate the final run of the game.
Ritchie had come into the ball game in the top of the frame with runners on second and third with one out for the Lyons, before striking out the first batter he faced with a called strike and retiring the next batter with a lazy fly ball to right to keep the score knotted at 2-2.
Both teams received timely double plays to escape jams leading up to the fourth inning, where both teams exchanged runs to get on the board for a 1-1 tie. The Terriers put together three good at-bats with one out to score their first run of the day. Junior catcher Gus Hollen (Freeport, Maine) drew a walk, before advancing to second ahead of a single up the middle off the bat of graduate student first baseman DJ Cagnina (South Berwick, Maine). Rychcik cracked a double to right field to bring Hollen around to score the first run of the game. Strite struck out the next batter and induced a grounder to second to end the threat.
Reilly was hit by a pitch to open the bottom half of the fourth for Wheaton, before later scoring on a ground-rule double to right field from Burgo Jr. to pull the Lyons even at 1-1.
Wheaton took its first lead of the contest with a run in the bottom of the sixth to take a 2-1 edge. Reilly stroked a single to left, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a wild pitch, before trotting home on a double to the right-center gap from Toth to give the Lyons the lead.
Rychcik was in the middle of Thomas' second run after drawing a walk to open the frame and scampering to second on a wild pitch. He also took third on a wild pitch, before coming home on a ground ball to short off the bat of junior second baseman Mitch Regan (Windham, N.H.) to re-tie the game.
Wheaton returns to the diamond tomorrow when it takes on Wesleyan University for a 12:30 p.m. first pitch at Northeast Regional Park in Davenport, while the Terriers take on Anna Maria College in a 9:00 a.m. doubleheader at Lake Myrtle Sports Park tomorrow in Auburndale, Fla.
