WPI 4, Wheaton 3 (11 Innings)
Box Score
Norton, MA --- The 10th-ranked Wheaton College baseball team saw
its winning streaks of eight games overall and 20 at home come to
an end in 11 innings Thursday afternoon, as the Lyons dropped a 4-3
decision to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in New England
Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action at Sidell
Stadium.
Wheaton, which had won five straight against the Engineers, fell
to 13-6 overall and 3-2 in the NEWMAC. Winners in six of its last
eight games, WPI improves to 10-11 on the season while moving past
the Lyons in the regular season standings at 4-1.
Freshman Paul Galligan's (Weymouth,
MA/Archbishop Williams) one-out single up the middle in the 11th
proved to be the difference. Classmate Mike Swanton
(Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) reached first on a throwing miscue
after fanning to begin the frame Freshman pinch runner
Scott MacDonald (Gorham, ME/Gorham) then stole
second and was brought around three batters later. Wheaton's
attempt at a two-out rally in the home half fell short when WPI
senior catcher Matt Fiore (Wakefield,
MA/Wakefield) set down a Lyon attempting to steal second.
With the score tied at three after six-and-a-half innings, the
hosts had a golden opportunity to push ahead in the seventh,
placing two runners in scoring position with one down. After senior
Adam Laplante (Harwich, MA/Harwich) drew a walk
and sophomore Nick Pecora (Highland Park,
NJ/Immaculata) put down a bunt single, senior Jeff
Martin (Marblehead, MA/Marblehead) sacrificed the runners
over. However, the Engineers got out of the jam via a strikeout and
groundout to short.
WPI sophomore starter Conor Fahey (Cumberland,
RI/Cumberland) held Wheaton's offense in check through nine
innings, including taking a no-hitter into the fifth. Fahey fanned
five through the first three frames while the visitors engineered
four hits during the first two with nothing to show. The Engineers
then plated two runs on four hits in the fifth inning, as junior
Ryan Rainone (Oakville, CT/Watertown Regional) and
sophomore Ethan Brown (Lunenburg, MA/Lunenburg)
hit back-to-back RBI singles to left.
Wheaton came right back with three runs on four hits in the
bottom of five, including a two-run single to right from senior
Brandon Leonard (Brockton, MA/Brockton). Pecora
got the Lyons on the board after driving in sophomore
Robert Foote (Walpole, MA/Walpole) with a base hit
up the middle. WPI quickly knotted the score in the next inning, as
freshman Cody McGregor (Westfield, MA/Avon Old
Farms) posted a two-out RBI single.
The Engineers finished the contest with 14 hits, as Galligan,
Rainone, Swanton, sophomore Scott McNee (Falmouth,
MA/Falmouth) and freshman Mark Dignum (Albany,
NY/Shaker) each had two, with McNee and Swanton collecting a double
apiece. Foote and Pecora paced the Lyons with two hits each.
Wheaton used five pitchers on the day, with sophomore starter
Adam Gingras (Woonsocket, RI/Woonsocket) going
five innings with one strikeout and no walks after surrendering
three runs on 10 hits. Sophomore Keith Pescosolido
(Newton, MA/Newton North) took the loss in relief, fanning three
and walking one with an unearned run and no hits in 1.1 innings.
Fahey finished with 10 strikeouts and four walks with three
earned runs on six hits, while freshman Thomas
Whiting (Farmington Hills, MI/Orchard Lake Saint Mary's)
earned the win with one strikeout through two scoreless innings.
Wheaton's concludes its six-game homestand tomorrow against
Roger Williams University at 3:30 p.m. WPI will return to
action on Saurday with a key NEWMAC doubleheader at Babson.
Release courtesy of Wheaton Sports Information
