Wheaton sweeps season series against Eastern Connecticut State

May 3, 2007

MANSFIELD, CT- New England's top two baseball teams faced each other for the second time in eight days Thursday night, as top-ranked Wheaton College edged number two Eastern Connecticut State University, 2-1 in a non-conference game at ECSU Stadium. Sweeping the two-game regular season series, the Lyons downed Eastern, 7-6 in 11 innings last Thursday in Norton.

The Lyons plated single runs in each the second and third innings and Wheaton's bullpen held the high-powered Warrior offense to a mere two hits over the final 5.1 innings as Blue and White junior starter Chris McDonough (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) exited the game in the fourth after getting hit in the leg with a batted ball. Wheaton freshman reliever Pat Martin (Rockland, MA/Rockland) came up huge in the ninth, earning his first collegiate save after entering the game with runners on first and second and nobody out.

After Eastern sacrificed its runners over, junior third baseman Scott Guillerault (South Portland, ME/South Portland) fielded a ground ball and cut down the runner at the plate for the second out. With runners on the corners and senior Randy Re (Danbury, CT/Danbury) at bat, Martin forced a ball to short that senior Brandon Leonard (Brockton, MA/Brockton) picked up and flipped to junior second baseman Jake Yagjian (Brewster, MA/Nauset Regional) from his knees for the force out.

Sophomore righthander Jared Barnes (North Attleboro, MA/Bishop Feehan), who came in for McDonough, was credited with the win after fanning one and walking two on two hits in two innings of work. Sophomore Brian Hughes (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional), junior Keith Pescosolido (Newton, MA/Newton North) and sophomore Josh Simmons (Cranston, RI/Cranston West) then combined for 2.1 hitless frames with two strikeouts and three walks.

Wheaton got on the board in the second when sophomore Robert Foote (Walpole, MA/Walpole) drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a Guillerault single, advanced to third on Yagjian's sacrifice bunt and two batters later scored on a passed ball. The Lyons doubled their lead in the third, again scoring an unearned run, as senior Adam Laplante (Harwich, MA/Harwich) doubled to right field with two down to plate classmate Travis Anthoine (Portland, ME/Portland), who reached on an Eastern error to begin the frame.

The hosts scored their lone run in the bottom of the third thanks to junior Zack Thomas' (East Haddam, CT/Xavier) two-out RBI single to left field. That run proved to be the game's final scoring, as each team stranded 11 base runners. The Lyons and Warriors had a runner in scoring position in each the fourth and fifth frames but came away empty, and Eastern's sixth proved to be the third straight inning in which the team left a pair of runners on base.

Guillerault was Wheaton's lone multiple hitter after going 2-for-4 with a stolen base, while sophomore Nick Pecora (Highland Park, NJ/Immaculata) joined Laplante with a double.

Posting seven hits to top the Lyons' total by two, Eastern was led by sophomore Tristan Hobbes (Utica, NY/Notre Dame), who went 2-for-4 with a double. Junior Joe Esposito (East Haven, CT/East Haven) suffered the pitching loss, surrendering two unearned runs on three hits with five strikeouts and four walks in six innings.

The Wheaton team seeks the program's 300th victory tomorrow afternoon at nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine. Slated for a 4:00 p.m. start, the Lyons nipped the Huskies, 2-1 in Norton on April 1.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 5/4/07.
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