AMHERST, Mass. — Junior catcher Ty Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) knocked in three runs and first year left fielder Brayden Lewis (Hopedale, Mass.) homered as the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team defeated host Amherst College, 9-2, this afternoon at Memorial Field in Amherst, Mass.
The Lyons have won four of their last five and improve to 24-10 on the season, while the Mammoths fall to 22-11.
Wheaton pounded out 15 hits, including knocks from 12 different hitters, to register double-digit hits for the 17th time this season.
Bellan was 1-3 with a double for the Lyons, while Lewis was 2-3 with two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base. Senior second baseman Marcus Rodrigues (Lincoln, R.I.) was 2-5 with an RBI and a run scored and junior center fielder Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) was 2-4 with a run scored and a stolen base. Wheaton's bullpen was outstanding, surrendering just one unearned run on four hits and two walks, while fanning seven batters over the final six and a third innings. Junior right-handed reliever John DeBarber (Seymour, Conn.) earned his first collegiate victory to improve to 1-0 after getting four outs, including three by strikeout.
Junior designated hitter Charlie LaFreniere (Norwalk, Conn.) led Amherst with a game-high three hits in four at-bats, while driving in a run and scoring a run. Sophomore Justin Orridge (Toronto, Ont.) was 1-4 with a run batted in and first year center fielder Jackson Boyer (Medina, Ohio) was 1-5 with a double. First year southpaw Liam Lennon (Centennial, Colo.) was tagged for five runs in the first inning on five hits and a walk to suffer the loss and drop to 0-2 on the year.
The Lyons scored five times in the top of the first inning to put them in the driver's seat for the rest of the afternoon. Lewis set the tone, pulling a long ball over the left field fence for his team-leading ninth home run of the season to give Wheaton a 1-0 edge. The Lyons tacked on another run after sophomore designated hitter Logan Downey (Warwick, R.I.) reached on a fielder's choice and Lamond followed with a single, before Rodrigues poked a single to right center to plate Downey with the second run. Senior third baseman Ray Toth (Granby, Mass.) drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases and set up Bellan for the early big blow. He delivered with a double to left to clear the bases and give Wheaton a 5-0 margin.
The Mammoths got on the board with a run in the third to cut the deficit to 5-1. Sophomore left fielder Leo Foust (Baltimore, Md.) was hit by a pitch to open the frame, before being lifted for junior pinch-runner Yoon Chae (Virginia Beach, Va.). Chae later scored on a two-out single through the left side off the bat of LaFreniere.
The Lyons got the run back, plus another with a pair of two-out runs in the fourth to take a 7-1 advantage. First year right fielder Derek Babineau Jr. (Scituate, Mass.) kept the inning alive after taking a pitch off his body, before stealing second and then scampering to third on a wild pitch. Lewis drew a full-count walk to put runners on the corners, before a wild pitch brought Babineau Jr. home and put Lewis on second base. Lewis kept the pressure on with a steal of third, before senior first baseman Collin Reilly (Marshfield, Mass.) drew a walk to put runners on the corners with two outs. Downey came through with a single up the middle to drive in Lewis and give the visitors a 7-1 cushion.
Wheaton added single runs in the sixth and eighth innings to increase its lead to 9-1. First year shortstop Evan Jones (West Haven, Conn.) served a single to center to open the inning and went to second on a wild pitch. Babineau Jr. followed with an RBI single to left field to give the Lyons a seven-run lead in the sixth. Sophomore pinch-hitter Declan Lush (Seekonk, Mass.) extended the eighth with a two-out single to center, before sophomore Dwayne Burgo Jr. (Taunton, Mass.) dumped a single into right field. First year Luca Finton (Bourne, Mass.) put the finishing touches on an impressive offensive Wheaton attack with a run-scoring single to right field to plate Lush with the Lyons' ninth run.
Amherst took advantage of an error in the eighth inning to add its final run of the game and pull within 9-2. LaFreniere reached on an error and ended up on second base, before Orridge ripped a single down the right field line to bring LaFreniere around to score.
Wheaton returns to the diamond on Thursday, April 30 when it hosts Rhode Island College at 3:30 p.m. at Sidell Stadium, while the Mammoths host Colby College for a two out of three-game set against Colby College on Friday, May 1 in the New England Small College Athletic Conference Quarterfinals at 3:00 p.m.
