GAME 1: Mitchell 7, Wheaton 4

NEW LONDON, Conn. —  Senior Cavan Brady (Sheffield, Mass.) was 4-4 with a walk and three runs batted in and sophomore starting pitcher Ryan McCarroll (Clifton Park, N.Y.) allowed just a run and struck out eight in seven and a third innings to lead the No. 8/9 top-seeded Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team over fourth-seeded Husson University, 11-1, today at Alumni Field on the campus of host Mitchell College in New London, Conn.

The Lyons, who are ranked eighth in the most recent D3baseball.com national poll and ninth in the Collegiate Baseball/American Baseball Coaches Association survey improve to 38-6 on the season, while the Eagles fall to 24-18.

Wheaton will return to Alumni Field tomorrow to play the winner of number two seed Tufts University and third-seeded Mitchell at 12:00 p.m.

Wheaton’s run total is its highest in NCAA Tournament play since a 13-9 victory over Saint Thomas College (Minn.) in Grand Chute, Wis. on May 28, 2012 in the College World Series. The margin of victory is the most for the Lyons in the NCAA Tournament since a 12-2 win over Keene State College on May 15, 2008 in Harwich, Mass.

Wheaton scored the first eight runs of the game, before Husson got on the board with a run in the top of the seventh to make it 8-1. The Lyons closed out their scoring with three runs in the seventh, before the Eagles scored twice in the ninth to set the final at 11-3.

Brady recorded the second four-hit effort of his career, including his 21st double of the year to put him one shy of the single-season school record. He also scored a pair of runs. McCarroll improves to 9-1 on the season to leave him one win shy of the single-season standard of 10. His eight strikeouts give him 76 on the season to tie him for the single-season school record set by Chris McDonough in 2006. McCarroll allowed just five hits and two walks. Sophomore left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) was 2-5 with a pair of doubles, one run batted in and a run scored, while junior right fielder Tommy Ambrosone (Hopkinton, Mass.) was 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Sophomore first baseman Timmy Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) was 2-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored.

First year right fielder Hunter Curtis (Ellsworth, Maine) paced Husson, going 2-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored, while first year catcher David York (Kennebunk, Maine) was 2-3 with a run batted in. Junior left fielder Akira Warren (Hallowell, Maine) was 2-3 with a run scored. Sophomore right-hander Matt Wallingford (Greene, Maine) suffered his first loss of the season against three wins, allowing six runs on 10 hits and three walks to go with a strikeout in five and a third innings of work. 

Wheaton got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 2-0 lead. Brady ripped a single to center field for the Lyons’ first hit of the game, before Matos doubled down the right field line to put both runners in scoring position with no outs. Wallingford got the next two hitters and looked to get out of the inning, but Ambrosone sent the ninth pitch of the at-bat into left center field to plate both runners to give Wheaton an early two-run lead. 

The Lyons added a pair of runs in the fourth to double their lead and take a 4-0 advantage. Brady opened the frame with a double down the line and later scored when senior catcher Robert Wirtanen (Brentwood, N.H.) laced a ball just inside the third base bag for a run-scoring double to bring Brady around with Wheaton’s third run. Wirtanen scampered home to make it 4-0 on back-to-back wild pitches.

The Lyons tacked on another run in the fifth for a 5-0 lead. Croteau pulled a two-out single to right field before Brady beat out an infield single to shortstop. Matos followed with an RBI double to left to plate Brady and give Wheaton a five-run cushion.

The Lyons scored three times in the sixth to put a comfortable eight-run difference between them and Husson. Wagner led off the inning with his third home run of the season over the left field fence. Two outs later, Wheaton loaded the bases after Guindon was hit by a pitch, senior second baseman Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) singled to left and Croteau drew a walk to load the bases for Brady, who came into the game 8-10 with the sacks full. The senior didn’t disappoint, stroking a two-run single to left field to give the Lyons an 8-0 advantage.

The Eagles broke into the scoring column, scoring their first run with two outs in the seventh. Warren singled to center, before junior Jackson Curtis (Ellsworth, Maine) doubled to left to end the shutout bid for Wheaton’s McCarroll and cut the deficit to 8-1.

The Lyons added three more runs to give them at least one run in four straight innings and increase their lead to 11-1.

Wheaton loaded the bases again after Wagner and Ambrosone both singled, followed by an intentional walk issued to Guindon. Maher worked a walk to force in a run and Ambrosone scored on a passed ball to give the Lyons double-digits in runs. Croteau re-loaded the bases after drawing a walk and Brady followed suit with a walk of his own to drive in his third run and give Wheaton an 11-1 margin.

Husson scored the final two runs of the game to pull within 11-3. Graduate student Ethan Stoddard (Old Town, Maine) opened the final inning with a double to right and scored on a single to center off the bat of Hunter Curtis. He stole second and then scored after York punched a single to right field for the final run of the contest.

NEW LONDON, Conn. —  The No. 8/9 and top-seeded Wheaton College (Mass.) baseball team scored twice in the top of the 13th inning to come away with a 3-1 victory and stave off elimination against fourth-seeded Husson University this afternoon at Alumni Field on the campus of host Mitchell College in New London, Conn. 

The Lyons, who are ranked eighth in the most recent D3baseball.com national poll and ninth in the Collegiate Baseball/American Baseball Coaches Association survey, improve to 39-7, while the Eagles fall to 25-19. 

Wheaton advances to play third-seeded Mitchell tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. to mark the eighth time in school history that the Lyons will play in the Regional Final. Mitchell defeated Wheaton earlier today, 7-4, so the Lyons will have to beat the Mariners twice to advance to the Super Regional round.

The game marked the longest played by Wheaton in the NCAA Tournament since a 7-6 win over 16 innings against Curry College to open the 2007 NCAA Regional.

The Lyons scored a run in the top of the second and entered the bottom of the ninth with a one-run lead before Husson scored a run in the frame to send the game into extra innings. Wheaton left 16 runners on base for the game and the Eagles trailed for 29 of 31 innings of the tournament, while standing on the doorstep of advancing to the tourney final.

Junior right fielder Tommy Ambrosone (Hopkinton, Mass.) led the Lyons at the plate, going 2-4 with a pair of walks, a run batted in and a run scored, while senior third baseman Nick Crotreau (Cumberland, R.I.) reached base four times, including three walks and a single and knocked in a run. Senior second baseman Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) was 2-6 with a run batted in, a stolen base and a base on balls. Sophomore right-handed reliever Jackson Walsh (Cumberland, R.I.) picked up the win to improve to 5-0 after hurling three innings of one-hit shutout ball that included two walks and a strikeout. Junior starting pitcher Liam Goldthwaite (Braintree, Mass.) surrendered just one run on six hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts in nine innings and did not allow a hit through the first four and two-thirds innings of play. Senior reliever Max Pierce (Scituate, R.I.) earned his fourth save of the year after throwing a scoreless 13th inning and giving up no hits and two walks, while fanning a batter.

Junior left fielder Akira Warren (Hallowell, Maine) paced the Eagles with a 2-4 effort to go with a walk and a run batted in and graduate student center fielder Ethan Stoddard (Old Town, Maine) was 1-4 with a double. First year catcher David York (Kennebunk, Maine) reached base three times with a pair of walks and a double. Eight pitchers combined to hurl 13 innings for Husson. Junior right-hander Conner Wagstaff (Ellsworth, Maine) suffered the loss to fall to 0-4 after giving up two runs on one hit in an inning and a third to go with a strikeout.

The Lyons saw the first four batters of the 13th inning reach base, including a bases loaded walk, followed by a sacrifice fly to score their two runs. Ambrosone opened the frame with a single down the right field line, before first year pinch-hitter Marcus Ollivierre (Somerset, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to put runners on field and second. Junior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) placed his bunt attempt in the air between third base and the pitcher and was able to reach on the play to load the bases with no outs. Maher worked a walk to force in Wheaton's first run in 11 innings to give it a 2-1 edge. Croteau hit a high fly ball to right field that resulted in a sacrifice fly with Ollivierre scampering home with the third run.

Husson loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with one out, but Pierce struck out the next batter and got the final out on a comebacker to earn the save. York and first year Keegan Cyr (Bangor, Maine) were each issued walks and pushed into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt to prompt the Lyons to intentionally walk graduate student Kobe Rogerson (Brewer, Maine) to load the bases before Pierce closed it out.

Down to its last out in the game, Husson rallied for a run in the ninth to send the contest into extra innings at 1-1. Junior first baseman Jackson Curtis (Ellsworth, Maine) singled to left field to keep the Eagles alive and Stoddard followed with a double down the left field line to put both runners in scoring position with two outs. Warren hit an infield single to deep shortstop to score Curtis with the equalizer, but Stoddard took too wide of a turn around third base and senior shortstop Cavan Brady (Sheffield, Mass.), who kept the ball from going into the outfield, snapped a throw to third base to beat Stoddard back to the bag for the third out and keep it a tie game.

Wheaton broke into the scoring column with a run in the top of the second to take a 1-0 edge. The Lyons put their first two runners on base with sophomore left fielder Kevin Matos (Lawrence, Mass.) working a leadoff walk and senior catcher Robert Wirtanen (Brentwood, Mass.) getting hit by a pitch. Husson turned a double play to put itself an out away from getting out of the inning, but Ambrosone made sure that the Eagles didn't escape after lacing a single to center field to plate Matos with the game's first run.