Lyons see 17-game winning streak snapped at NEWMAC rival Babson, 4-2

April 8, 2008

BABSON PARK, MA- The Wheaton College baseball team saw the program's second-longest winning streak come to a close Tuesday afternoon at New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) rival Babson College, as the Lyons lost for the first time in nearly a month with a 4-2 setback on Govoni Field.

Wheaton, which came into today's action on a 17-game winning streak and ranked ninth in the most recent American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) poll, falls to 19-5 on the season and 7-1 in league play. The Lyons remain a half game in front of Babson for first in the NEWMAC standings, as the Beavers are 6-1 in the conference and 15-8 overall.

After three Wheaton batters went down on strikes in the first, the hosts grabbed all the runs they would need in the bottom half, when junior Bryan Evans (Bellaire, TX/Episcopal) drove a three-run homer over the left field wall. Evans scored senior Steve Tahmoush (Arlington, MA/Arlington) and sophomore Dave Ahern (Bedford, MA/Bedford), who reached base on a hit by pitch and fielder's choice, respectively. The Beavers benefited on the lone hit of the inning, as the Lyons limited Babson to just four knocks.

Ahern, who started on the hill for the first time this season, didn't allow a hit until the third inning, but the Wheaton runner was erased on the first of two inning-ending double plays. After the Beavers extended their lead to 4-0 on a double-steal attempt in the third, the visitors pushed a run across in the fourth, as sophomore Paul Malaguti (Andover, MA/Andover) began the rally by smacking a one-out double to center. Freshman Sean Munley (Trenton, NJ/The Hun School of Princeton) traded places with Malaguti two batters later with a double to right field.

Wheaton junior southpaw Brian Hughes (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional) settled in after a shaky start, retiring seven straight batters on two occasions. The Lyon middle infielders turned two to end the sixth, and the Blue and White narrowed its deficit to two in the seventh. Junior Robert Foote (Walpole, MA/Walpole) doubled to left center, advanced to third on classmate Nick Pecora's (Highland Park, NJ/Immaculata) infield single and scored on a pinch-hit sacrifice fly from senior Ken Depasse (Holden, MA/Saint John's).

However, senior John Hudspeth (Mount Laurel, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep) came on in relief in the eighth and stymied the Lyon offense, retiring six of the seven batters he faced. Hudspeth opened the eighth with a strikeout before inducing a groundout and fly out. Foote got hit by a pitch with two down in the ninth, but Hudspeth forced his final batter to ground out to second to end the threat.

Foote finished as one of two multi hitters, going 2-for-3 with a run, while Malaguti was 2-for-4 with a run. Munley, Pecora and freshman Hadi Raad (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY/Hastings) accounted for the remaining hits. Hughes was saddled with his first loss of the spring after yielding three earned runs on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Junior Jared Barnes (North Attleboro, MA/Bishop Feehan) fanned one through a scoreless seventh, while senior Keith Pescosolido (Newton, MA/Newton North) struck out three in a one-hit eighth.

Ahern, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and a walk at the plate, picked up his first win. He surrendered seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Hudspeth earned his initial save of the season.

The Lyons look to get back to their winning ways during tomorrow afternoon's non-conference home game against Bridgewater State College at 4:00 p.m.

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