AMHERST, Mass. – A big opening inning by the visitors stood as the difference maker, as the Amherst College baseball team fell to Wheaton College, 18-8 in a non-conference contest Sunday afternoon at Memorial Field.
With the loss, Amherst falls to 6-9 on the season, while Wheaton improves to 13-8 overall. Amherst returns to action on Thursday, April 13 when they travel to Eastern Connecticut State for a 6 p.m. non-conference bout.
Both teams saw success at the plate in a wild first inning, with the Lyons scoring nine runs before the Mammoths responded with four of their own. Jason Sharkey, Zach Goodwin-Boyd, Tyler Walsh, Tyler Calabro, Chris Ruocco, Josh LaJoie and Matt Cook were the RBI getters for Wheaton, while Ariel Kenney '18, Zach Horwitz '19 and Nick Nardone '19 logged the RBIs for Amherst.
Wheaton and Amherst traded runs in the second, with Ruocco sending a sacrifice fly to deep center field to plate Tyler Walsh after three Lyon singles and a fielder's choice set up the scoring play. Responding in the bottom half of the inning, Max Steinhorn '18 and Ryan Hardin '18 posted back-to-back base hits and before Steinhorn crossed home following a failed pick off attempt at first.
The Mammoths tacked on another run after a scoreless third, as Harry Roberson '18 drove a ball down the right field line to record a ground rule triple. The next batter to the plate, Yanni Thanopoulos '17 tallied the RBI for Amherst, lifting a sacrifice fly to center.
Extending their lead in the sixth, Calabro scored on a wild pitch before Ruocco and LaJoie powered back-to-back hits over the fence to set the score at 14-6.
A third Wheaton homer in the seventh plated two more runs for the Lyons, before Nardone got in on the action and drove a solo shot over the left field wall in the bottom half of the inning.
Wheaton's final two scores came in the eighth as a sacrifice fly by Nick Roposo and a double by Sharkey plated Ruocco and Cook to give the Lyons 18 runs on the day.
Patient at the plate, Hardin walked in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded to earn an RBI and what stood as Amherst's final score as the Lyons clinched the 18-8 win.
Andrew Ferrero '19 (2-1) took the loss for Amherst, while Wilson Taylor '19 pitcehd 5.2 innings and struck out five in relief. Chris Baldi '17, David Brinkley '19 and Landry Mayo '20 also saw time on the mound, with Baldi and Brinkley combining for an inning of action and Mayo hitting the field for the eighth and ninth.
Tasked with the start, Trevor Marques (1-1) tossed 4.0 innings and allowed four earned runs and struck out five to earn the win for Wheaton, before Zach Pipa pitched 3.0 innings in relief. Andrew Iannucci and Paul McGeehan each threw and inning a piece to close out the game for Wheaton.
BY THE NUMBERS
- The Lyons owned an 18-13 edge in hits and stranded 11 runners, while Amherst left 13 runners on base.
- Wheaton logged five extra base hits, including three home runs, while the Mammoths registered a double, triple and homer.
- The Amherst staff combined to strike out nine and walk seven, while the Lyons walked five and whiffed 12.