Wheaton splits twinbill with national powers Cortland State and Webster

March 11, 2008

PHOENIX, AZ- The Wheaton College baseball team split a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader against national powers Cortland State College and Webster University, as the Lyons fell to the Red Dragons, 9-5 before posting a 7-6 comeback victory over the Gorloks. Wheaton enters tomorrow's off day with a 2-3 mark.

Facing 4-2 Cortland State, which is ranked second in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll, for the second time in three days, the Lyons jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first frame and carried a 5-3 edge into the bottom of the seventh before giving way to six Red Dragon runs in the home half of the frame, as Wheaton committed four errors.

The Blue and White plated its four first-inning runs on four hits, as senior Scott Guillerault (South Portland, ME/South Portland) began a two-out rally with an RBI triple to right field. Consecutive run-scoring singles from sophomore Jeff Lieneck (Foxboro, MA/Xaverian Brothers) and freshman Sean Munley (Trenton, NJ/The Hun School of Princeton) made the score 3-0, while sophomore Jason Clucas' (Peabody, MA/Saint John's Prep) RBI double to right center extended the Lyon lead to four.

After Cortland State cut its deficit in half during the bottom of the first, Wheaton eventually responded with a run in the fifth, sophomore Paul Malaguti (Andover, MA/Andover) singled home Lieneck for a 5-2 Lyon advantage. Junior righty Adam Gingras (Woonsocket, RI/Woonsocket) held the high-powered Red Dragon offense in check through six innings, yielding the three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks.

In the seventh, Wheaton needed a final out to get out of the frame unscathed, but Cortland State rallied with six runs on five hits, including four that went for extra bases. The Lyons left two runners on base in each of the final two innings. Lieneck finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs, a pair of stolen bases, an RBI and walk. Malaguti went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Munley batted 2-for-5 with an RBI and run.

In game two, the Lyons overcame a three-run deficit after six innings, scoring three runs in the seventh to knot the score at six before Lieneck's ninth-inning game-winner carried over the third baseman and down the left field line, plating freshman pinch runner Colin Lynch (Danvers, MA/Danvers) from second. Guillerault drew a walk to open the ninth and Lynch advanced to second on a wild pitch, setting up Lieneck's heroics.

Freshman southpaw Kevin Calabro (Andover, MA/Andover) turned in an impressive relief appearance, retiring 11 of his final 12 batters. Going 1-2-3 in the ninth, Calabro allowed just one hit with one strikeout in four scoreless innings in earning his first collegiate win. Sophomore starter Nick Kostaras (North Attleboro, MA/North Attleboro) picked up the no-decision, allowing six runs on 11 hits with four strikeouts and one walk in five-plus innings.

Wheaton and 0-4 Webster traded two runs apiece in the first, and the Lyons took their first lead with a run in the second. The Gorloks evened things up in the fourth and then tallied a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to lead 6-3. In the seventh, a Guillerault one-out double brought the Lyons to within two. Two batters later, the Blue and White took advantage of a Webster defensive miscue, which scored Guillerault and junior Nick Pecora (Highland Park, NJ/Immaculata), who reached base with a single through the right side.

Lieneck was 3-for-5 with two RBI, senior Ken Depasse (Holden, MA/Saint John's) went 2-for-3 with an RBI, classmate Jake Yagjian (Brewster, MA/Nauset Regional) had two hits and a run, while Guillerault scored two runs with a double, RBI, walk and hit by pitch.

The Lyons face nationally-ranked The College of New Jersey for the second time on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. The Lions defeated Wheaton on Saturday.

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