NORTON, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team scored 18 runs on just nine hits, but had 27 base runners, including 14 walks in an 18-2 victory over visiting Emerson College this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass. The game was halted after seven innings due to the NEWMAC 10-run mercy rule.

The Lyons improve to 18-7 overall and 7-3 in league play, while the Lions fall to 4-18 and 1-9.

Wheaton's walk total is the third-most in a game in program history. Conversely, the Blue and White's pitching staff did not issue a walk on the day.

Emerson led the ball game 1-0 after a one-run top half of the first, before the Lyons scored six times in the bottom of the frame. Wheaton blew the game open with 10 runs on two hits in the fifth to take a 16-2 advantage. 

Four players drew multiple walks on the day for the Lyons, including first year outfielder Derek Babineau, Jr. (Scituate, Mass.), who walked three times and, despite going just 0-1, still managed to score four runs and drive in a run. His line wasn't the only unconventional one on the day for the home team. Junior catcher Ty Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) registered the rare feat of knocking in three runs without a hit and he was one of three batters in the lineup to record at least one RBI without the benefit of a knock. Sophomore designated hitter Logan Downey (Warwick, R.I.) was 2-3 with a double, two runs batted in, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base, while senior second baseman Marcus Rodgrigues (Lincoln, R.I.) was 3-4 with an RBI, two runs scored, a double and a walk from the top of the lineup. First year shortstop Evan Jones (West Haven, Conn.) contributed with three  runs batted in with a 2-3 effort. Sophomore starting pitcher Evan Yakavonis (Whitman, Mass.) earned the victory to improve to 1-1 after allowing two runs on six hits and no walks, while striking out five batters in five innings.

The Lions were led by junior shortstop Justin Fields (Glen Ridge, N.J.), who was 1-2 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored. First year first baseman Liam Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) doubled in three at-bats and drove in a run, while sophomore second baseman Josh Churchward (Davis, Calif.) was 1-3 with a run scored. Sophomore starting pitcher Henry Kagan (Pelham, N.Y.) was unable to get an out and all six batters he faced scored, including four unearned runs, on two hits and four walks. He drops to 0-2 on the year.

Emerson got on the board with a run in the first to take a 1-0 edge. Churchward opened the game with a single to right field, before stealing second base. Junior third baseman Braeden O'Connell (Boxford, Mass.) singled later in the frame to put runners on the corners with one out. Fields lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Churchward with the game's first run.

Wheaton responded with six runs in the bottom of the inning to give it all the offense it would need for the game. 

Rodrigues smacked a lead-off double to the gap in right center and later scored on a passed ball to knot the score at 1-1 for the Lyons. Downey singled home a run later in the inning, before Babineau Jr. worked a bases loaded walk to force in the home team's third run. Downey later scored the fourth run on a wild pitch. Bellan knocked in his first run of the game with his league-leading sixth sacrifice fly of the year and Jones reached on a bunt single to plate Babineau Jr. to give Wheaton a six-run advantage.

The Lions tacked on a run in the fourth to cut the deficit to 6-2. Fields laced a single through the left side, stole second and came around to score on a two-out double off the bat of Wagner to make it a four-run game.

Wheaton took advantage of eight walks, two hit batters and three wild pitches to score 10 runs and enjoy a 16-2 cushion after five innings. Bellan's second RBI came on a sacrifice bunt to increase the Lyons' lead to 7-2. Rodrigues punched an RBI single through the left side to plate Wheaton's eighth run. Jones later scored on a wild pitch after getting hit by a pitch earlier in the inning and Downey pushed in another run with a bases loaded free pass. First year left fielder Brayden Lewis (Hopedale, Mass.) also scampered home on a wild pitch after drawing a four-pitch walk earlier in the frame. Senior first baseman Collin Reilly (Marshfield, Mass.) was also issued a base on balls and later scored with Downey on an infield error to give the Lyons a 13-2 advantage. Bellan picked up his third RBI with a base-loaded walk, before Jones knocked in two runs with a single in his second plate appearance of the inning to bump Wheaton's cushion to a 14-run difference. 

The Lyons added two more runs in the sixth after first year outfielder Levi Hessel (Westminster, Mass.) reached on a two-out infield single and Babineau Jr. drew a full-count walk to set up sophomore Jeremy Aylward (Hingham, Mass.) for a two-run double to give Wheaton an 18-2 advantage.

First year relief pitcher Josh Martin (Patten, Maine) set down all three batters he faced in order, including a pair of strikeouts to end the game in his collegiate debut.

The Lyons return to action tomorrow when they host Brandeis University at Sidell Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch, while Emerson hosts Framingham State University on April 16 at 3:00 p.m. at New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Mass.