NORTON, Mass. — Junior center fielder Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) finished a triple short of the cycle and knocked in a career-high five runs to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team to a 19-13 win over visiting Rhode Island College this afternoon at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons have won five of their last six games and improve to 25-10 on the season, while the Anchormen fall to 10-21.
The last time Wheaton combined to score 32 runs with an opponent was 17 years and two days ago on April 28, 2009 when it defeated Rhode Island College by the exact same score of 19-13 in Norton.
The teams combined for 32 runs on 33 hits. Wheaton scored three or more runs in five different innings and Rhode Island College scored three or more runs in three different innings. Neither side scored fewer than three runs in any inning where a run crossed the plate. The Blue and White also stole 10 bases to fall one short of the school standard and recorded double-digit stolen bases for the second time this season.
The Lyons opened the scoring with four runs in the first, before the Anchormen erupted for seven runs in the third to take a 7-4 lead. Wheaton answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to pull even at 7-7. The Lyons scored seven unanswered runs to take a 14-7 margin after five innings. Rhode Island College closed to within 14-10 after a three-run eighth, but Wheaton countered with five runs in the bottom of the eighth. RIC scored the final three runs of the game in the ninth.
Lamond homered, doubled and collected a pair of singles to go with two stolen bases, four runs scored and a walk for the Lyons. First year right fielder Derek Babineau Jr. (Scituate, Mass.) became the first Wheaton player to steal four bases in a game in program history and was 2-3 with two RBI, two runs scored and a pair of walks. Sophomore second baseman Logan Downey (Warwick, R.I.) was 2-4 with two runs batted in, a double and a stolen base, while junior catcher Ty Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) was 2-5 with two RBI, two runs scored and a walk. Sophomore right-handed relief pitcher Jack Cali (East Taunton, Mass.) earned the win to improve to 2-2 on the season after tossing a shutout inning, while striking out a batter.
Senior right fielder CJ Almagno (North Providence, R.I.) was 2-5 with a career-high six runs batted in, a home run and a run scored to lead the Anchormen. First year Jace Wolfradt (Pawcatuck, Conn.) contributed with a 2-3 effort and knocked in two runs, scored twice and doubled. Junior shortstop Parker Camelo (Bristol, R.I.) was 4-5 with an RBI, three runs scored and a walk from the top of the lineup. First year catcher Brady Zadora (Dayville, Conn.) was 3-5 with a run batted in, a run scored and a stolen base. Junior righty reliever Kolbie Stellpflug (Whitehouse Station, N.J.) suffered the loss to drop to 0-1 after giving up seven runs (four earned) on five hits and a walk to go with a strikeout in one and two-thirds innings pitched.
The Lyons scored three times in the bottom of the fourth to break a 7-7 tie. Senior first baseman Collin Reilly (Marshfield, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to open the inning and Downey singled to center, before Lamond gave the home team the lead for good with a three-run homer for a 10-7 advantage.
Downey and Bellan increased the Lyons' lead to 14-7 with each producing two-run singles during an inning that saw Wheaton collect five hits, including a double from Reilly.
Rhode Island College scored three runs in the eighth to cut the deficit to 14-10. Camelo and first year second baseman Ryan O'Leary (Foxboro, Mass.) each drew a walk to open the inning, before Wolfradt ripped an RBI double down the left field line. Almagno followed with a sacrifice fly to knock in the Anchormen's ninth run and Zadora delivered an RBI single to make it a four-run game.
The first seven batters to come to bat all reached during a five-run eighth for Wheaton to give it a 19-10 cushion. Bellan and first year shortstop Evan Jones (West Haven, Conn.) singled, before first year Ethan Drouin (Merrimack, N.H.) singled through the right side to drive in his first collegiate run. Sophomore Dwayne Burgo Jr. (Taunton, Mass.) ripped a single to right field to plate a pair of runs and give the Lyons a 17-10 lead. First year Wyatt Soucie (North Yarmouth, Maine) also came through with a two-run single to give Wheaton a season-high 19 runs.
Rhode Island College took advantage of a couple miscues to keep the ninth inning alive and score three more runs. Camelo smacked a two-out single to center, before O'Leary hit what appeared to be a fly out to center, but a balk was ruled on the pitch to give O'Leary another chance. He then hit a routine grounder to second, but the ball was mishandled to put Camelo on third and O'Leary on first. Wolfradt made the error hurt with an RBI single, before Almagno laced a two-run single up the middle to close the scoring at 19-13.
The Lyons received two-run doubles from Lamond and senior third baseman Ray Toth (Granby, Mass.) to establish a 4-0 lead in the first inning.
The Anchormen had 13 hitters come to the plate in the third with seven of them scoring to take a 7-4 lead. Almagno cut the four-run deficit to one after blasting a three-run homer over the right field fence. First year third baseman Finn Boyle (Washington, D.C.) knocked in a run with a double later in the frame and first year first baseman Evan Davis (Glastonbury, Conn.) knocked in a run with a single to give the visitors a 5-4 edge. Rhode Island College continued to pad its lead after receiving back-to-back RBI singles from Camelo and O'Leary to give the Anchormen a three-run margin.
Wheaton loaded the bases after Lamond singled, sophomore designated hitter Jeremy Aylward (Hingham, Mass.) was hit by a pitch and Bellan drew a walk. Jones worked a walk of his own to force home a run, before Babineau Jr. delivered a two-run single to knot the game at 7-7.
The Lyons return to action on Saturday, May 2 when they host Clark University in a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at 12:00 p.m., while Rhode Island College hosts United States Coast Guard Academy for a twinbill on the same day and time.
