NORTON, Mass. — Junior catcher Ty Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) delivered a two-out RBI single to give the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team a 10-9 walk-off win to gain a double-header sweep over visiting Worcester Polytechnic Institute this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons have won four in a row and six of their last seven to improve to 17-6 and 6-3 in league play, while the Engineers fall to 10-15 and 1-7.
WPI rapped out 14 hits on the day and left 11 runners on base, but was hampered by six errors. There were plenty of runs to go around with both teams combining to score runs in all but two innings of the game.
Bellan finished with a 1-4 effort and scored a pair of runs for Wheaton. First year Brayden Lewis (Hopedale, Mass.) was 2-5 with a three-run home run and two runs scored, while junior center fielder Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) was 2-5 with a run batted in and two stolen bases. Senior right-handed reliever Jack Feltovic (Hadley, Mass.) tossed a scoreless ninth inning to pick up the win and improve to 1-0 on the season.
Four Engineers collected three hits on the day, led by senior first baseman Jonathan Lattimer (Windsor, Conn.) with a 3-5 effort to produce three RBI to go with a double and two runs scored. Senior left fielder Jacob Wiberg (Exeter, N.H.) was 3-5 with a double, two runs batted in, a run scored and a stolen base after throwing nearly eight innings in the day's first game. First year designated hitter Drew Herlin (Wrentham, Mass.) contributed with a 3-5 effort, including two RBI and senior right fielder Jack Zawacki (Pittsford, N.Y.) was 3-5 with a pair of runs scored and a walk. First year reliever Mason Walls (Pearland, Texas) was tagged with the loss to drop to 0-2 after giving up a run on two hits and two walks in an inning and two-thirds of work to go with a strikeout.
The Lyons made the first two outs of the ninth before putting together a rally to win the game. First year right fielder Derek Babineau Jr. (Scituate, Mass.) and senior third baseman Ray Toth (Granby, Mass.) drew back-to-back walks before Bellan singled through the right side to bring Babineau Jr. around to score the game-deciding run.
Wheaton scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first to set the tone for a game full of offense. The Lyons took advantage of three WPI miscues in the inning, including the means to get senior second baseman Marcus Rodrigues (Lincoln, R.I.) and Lewis on base to open the frame. Senior first baseman Collin Reilly (Marshfield, Mass.) singled and took second on an error on the left fielder for the visitor's third error in as many Wheaton plate appearances. Rodrigues scored on the play for the first run of the contest. Lewis later scored on a ground out by sophomore designated hitter Logan Downey (Warwick, R.I.) to give the home team a two-run margin.
The Engineers scored three runs in the third to take a 3-2 edge. Sophomore shortstop Chuck Cappello (Southboro, Mass.) was hit by a pitch, Zawacki singled up the middle and senior third baseman Zachary Roethlein (Pomfret Center, Conn.) drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Lattimer followed with a two-run single, before Wiberg also singled home a run to give WPI five straight batters reaching safely. The Engineers' threat came to an end with a timely double play.
WPI tacked on two more runs in the fifth to take a 5-2 margin. Zawacki worked a walk and later scored on a Lattimer double to left. Wiberg traded places with a double of his own to knock in Lattimer to increase the Engineers' lead to three.
The Lyons never trailed again after putting up four runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 6-5 edge. Bellan reached on an error to open the frame, before first year shortstop Evan Jones (West Haven, Conn.) singled to right center. Lewis tied the game with a three-run blast over the left field fence for his team-leading fifth homer of the year. Downey singled to left later in the inning and Lamond served a two-out single to the gap in right center to drive in Downey with Wheaton's sixth run.
WPI took advantage of an error in the sixth to pull even at 6-6. Cappello drew a walk and Zawacki reached on an error to push Cappello to third. Roethlein grounded out to shortstop to plate Cappello and tie it.
The Engineers' defensive failings again helped the Lyons re-take the lead with two errors to lead to three runs without a Wheaton hit in the bottom of the sixth. Bellan was hit by a pitch to open the inning and Jones walked before Rodrigues reached on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt that allowed both Bellan and Jones to score and give the Blue and White a two-run advantage. Rodrigues made his way around the bases to score the Lyons' ninth run when he advanced to third on an errant pick-off throw at second base and scampered home on a wild pitch.
WPI got a run back in the seventh to close to within 9-7. Wiberg smacked a lead-off single through the right side and stole second, before scoring on a two-out single to left off the bat of sophomore Mike Pratt (Hampton, N.H.). The visitors added two more runs in the eighth to pull even at 9-9. Roethlein and Lattimer registered back-to-back singles and later scored on a two-out single to center from Herlin to knot the score and set the stage for Bellan's heroics in the ninth.
Wheaton returns to action tomorrow when it travels to Keene, N.H. to take on Keene State College at 12:00 p.m., while the Engineers host New England College at New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Mass. on April 14 at 3:30 p.m.
