NORTON, Mass. — The second-seeded Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team was defeated by number three seed Babson College, 3-2, this afternoon in the second round of the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Championship Tournament at Sidell Stadium on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons slip to 26-12, while the Beavers improve to 24-15.
Wheaton takes on number four seed Massachusetts Institute of Technology in an elimination game tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. in Kingston, R.I. at Bill Beck Field on the campus of University of Rhode Island, while Babson plays tomorrow against top-seeded Salve Regina University also at 9:30 a.m. in Newport, R.I. on the Salve Regina campus.
Junior starting pitcher Jason Finkelstein (Walpole, Mass.) scattered 10 hits and allowed two runs over eight-plus innings and struck out six to go with a walk, while improving to 5-2 for the Beavers. Senior Zander Teator (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) was 2-4 with two runs batted in and closed out the game with two strikeouts in the ninth to nail down his sixth save of the season. Sophomore center fielder Ben Valente (Newton, Mass.) was 2-4 with a double and an RBI and sophomore left fielder Dylan Drazka (Rye Brook, N.Y.) was 2-4 with a run scored.
Junior catcher Ty Bellan (Franklin, Mass.) led all hitters in the game with four hits in as many at-bats and also knocked in a run for the Lyons. Senior second baseman Marcus Rodrigues (Lincoln, R.I.) was 2-4 with a double and sophomore designated hitter Logan Downey (Warwick, R.I.) contributed with a 2-4 showing. Junior left-handed starting pitcher Aiden Cardoza (Dartmouth, Mass.) was outstanding for Wheaton, giving up two runs on five hits and did not surrender a walk to go with four strikeouts in seven and two-thirds innings pitched. Senior southpaw Evan Mello (New Bedford, Mass.) was saddled with the loss to drop to 2-2 after giving up a run on three hits to go with three strikeouts in an inning and a third of relief.
The teams combined for 19 hits, but managed to score just five runs. The home team pounded out 11 hits and scored each of its runs in the first two frames.
Babson faced a 2-0 deficit entering the top of the eighth inning, before scoring three two-out runs to take the lead for good. Junior Connor Frickey (Colorado Springs, Colo.) entered the game a few innings earlier, before beating out a ground ball to shortstop for an infield single to keep the visitors' hopes alive. Sophomore Gabe Harmon (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) followed with a single to left field to knock Cardoza out of the game. Drazka also reached on an infield single on a squibber to short to load the bases. Valente laced a ball that was kept in the infield by the Lyon shortstop, resulting in another infield single to drive in Frickey with the Beavers' first run of the day. Teator followed with Babson's fifth straight hit, this time a single that made it through the left side of the infield to score both Drazka and Harmon with the tying and go-ahead runs.
Wheaton looked to rally in the ninth inning to extend or win the game when senior third baseman Ray Toth (Granby, Mass.) drew a walk to open the frame. He was lifted for a pinch-runner. Bellan looked to get a bunt down, but before he had the chance, the pinch-runner was picked off first base by Teator, who had just moved from second base to the mound to close out the game. Bellan hit a flair down the right field line for a single, but Teator fanned the final two batters, including the final Lyon on a two-strike pitch-clock infraction to end the game.
Wheaton threatened to break the game open early when it loaded the bases in the first inning after first year left fielder Brayden Lewis (Hopedale, Mass.), senior first baseman Collin Reilly (Marshfield, Mass.) and Downey all singled. Junior center fielder Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring home Lewis with the first run of the game for a 1-0 edge.
The Lyons were quick to score the second run in the bottom of the second to double their lead at 2-0. Toth ripped a line drive off the heel of Finkelstein's glove to reach on an infield single, before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Bellan hit a laser of the first baseman's glove that trickled away into foul ground, enabling Toth to score Wheaton's second run.
The Lyons were primed to add to their lead in the fourth, but Babson's infield defense kept them in check. Rodrigues belted a double to the left-center gap, before Toth put down a bunt, but Babson sophomore catcher Gabe Cushner (Harrington Park, N.J.) was quick to cut down Rodrigues with a strike to third. Bellan followed with a single to right field to push Toth to third and leave Wheaton with runners on the corners with one out. First year shortstop Evan Jones (West Haven, Conn.) put down a squeeze bunt, but Finkelstein was able to convert the throw to the plate to prevent the run.
