Sharkey Homers as Baseball Takes Down No. 7 UMass.-Boston 5-3

Recap, photo courtesy of Wheaton

GAME ONE: Wheaton 5 - No. 7 UMass.-Boston 3

RECORDS: Wheaton (3-1, 0-0 NEWMAC) - UMass.-Boston (1-3)

LOCATION: Auburndale, Fla. (Lake Myrtle #1)

THE RUNDOWN: 

The Wheaton College baseball team returned to the field Sunday morning to take on the Beacons of UMass.-Boston, who are currently ranked seventh in the nation according to the latest D3baseball.com poll, in the RussMatt Invitational. The Lyons used the middle innings to rally from behind to win the contest 5-3.

Senior Joe Bongiovanni got the start and the win today for the Lyons, pitching six complete, giving up three runs on four hits, while striking out five and walking just two. Patrick Arter collected his third save of the season, closing out the ninth by retiring the side.

Jared Sharkey finished the game 2-for-3 from the plate, which included a solo home run down the left field line. Sophomore Brody Ashley had a 2-for-4 day after safely after dramatically beating out two throws to first.

Eddie Riley led the Beacons at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with a run scored. Tylor Arruda got the start on the mound for UMB, collecting the loss after five complete innings, giving up four runs on six hits, and five walks.

Wheaton started the game strong with Bongiovanni retiring the first four Beacon batters, setting up the offense who went straight to work in the bottom of the first. The Lyon half of the inning began with Ashley sliding safely into first base after hitting the ball up the middle to the Beacon shortstop. The sophomore outfielder then took second, before coming home on a Sharkey single through the left side.

Trailing 1-0, the Beacons responded in the top of the third with three runs on two hits and a Wheaton error.

The Lyons began to slowly chip away at the deficit in the middle innings, starting with a single run in the fourth with Sharkey's second home run of the season and first of the RussMatt games.

Ashley came around to score in the bottom half of the fifth, knotting the game up at 3-3, after reaching on a walk. Conor Gammond moved Ashley to third moments later with a single down the right field line, before a Raposo groundout allowed the center fielder to come home.

Wheaton used three hits to take the lead back in the sixth with Andrew Manni coming home. Manni started the inning with a single down the right field line, before moving to third on a double by Zach Demattio. The first-year made his way across the plate with the next at-bat which saw Ashley single to second and safely reach on another headfirst dive into first base.

Wheaton concluded the scoring in the seventh with Raposo scoring on a Beacon wild pitch. The junior catcher started the inning with his third walk of the day and moved into scoring position on a double to right center from Bryant Salkind.

During that time the Wheaton closers allowed just one hit through the final three innings, which included Arter coming in in the ninth and retiring the side.
THE BASICS:

Hits: Wheaton 8 / UMB 5
Errors: Wheaton 1 / UMB 0
RBIs: Wheaton 4 / UMB 3
Left on Base: Wheaton 8 / UMB 7
Walks: Wheaton 6 / UMB 4
Strikeouts: Wheaton 9 / UMB 7