04/09/2009
Baseball Leads Early, Falls Late to Seventh-Ranked Wheaton College

WORCESTER, MASS. 4/9/09 - The seventh-ranked Wheaton College Lyons scored four runs in the seventh inning to snap a 3-3 tie en route to a 10-5 come-from-behind win over Clark University in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) baseball action on Thursday afternoon at Granger Field.

Wheaton remained undefeated in the league (8-0) and improved to 22-3 overall. Clark dropped to 10-16 overall and 2-5 in NEWMAC play.

The Cougars grabbed an early lead with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first. Lead-off hitter Steve DeMartino (East Haven, Conn.) reached on an error by the Lyons third baseman and scored on another infield miscue just three batters later to put Clark on the board. Sophomore Kevin Kopec's (Katonah, N.Y.) RBI groundout then scored Phil DiMarco (Bellingham, Mass.), who had walked, for the 2-0 margin.

Clark took advantage of another error in the fourth inning. Senior Matt Tillo (Osterville, Mass.) got on by virtue of an infield miscue and came around to score the third run on Jeremy Gerber's (Amherst, Mass.) single to right center.

Junior pitcher Brendan Solecki (Portsmouth, R.I.) protected the lead into the fifth until sophomore Sean Munley (Trenton, N.J.) belted a two-run homer, his second of the season, to cut Clark's lead to one (3-2). The Lyons tied the game in the sixth when junior Paul Malagutti (Andover, Mass.) walked, moved to third on freshman Hal Landers' (Salem, N.H.) single to right field and scored on a throwing error by Clark's shortstop.

Wheaton then used a four-run seventh to take its first lead of the day. After a sacrifice bunt from Malagutti put runners on second and third, junior Jason Clucas (Peabody, Mass.) ripped a two-run triple to left field and later scored on an RBI groundout by Landers to give the Lyons a 6-3 lead. Sophomore Hadi Raad (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.) homered to expand the visitors lead to 7-3.

Pinch-hitter Andrew Agostini (Williamstown, Mass.) and DeMartino drove in single runs in the seventh and eighth inning, respectively, to bring Clark within 7-5, but sophomore Eric Laliberte (Nashua, N.H.) answered with a three-run homerun in the ninth to push Wheaton's advantage to 10-5 and seal the victory.

Senior Nick Pecora (Highland Park, N.J.) led Wheaton with three hits. Sophomore Chad Kasik (Dudley, Mass.) earned the win in relief.

DeMartino, Kopec, and Peter Lewis (Gardiner, Me.) were repeat hitters for Clark. Sophomore Rob Lopez (Copake, N.Y.) (0-1) took the loss for the Cougars.

Clark will travel to Springfield College on Saturday (Noon) for a NEWMAC doubleheader.