BRISTOL, R.I. – A late rally for Wheaton College pushed the Lyons past the Roger Williams University Baseball team in the Hawks' final game of the season Friday afternoon, as the Lyons won by a 4-3 margin. With the win, Wheaton Head Coach Eric Podbelski earns his 400th career victory.
Roger Williams was able to bring across a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, as Matthew Roche# (Bristol, Conn.) singled through the right side to bring in John Oppenhimer (Westport, Conn.) for the first run of the game. With the bases loaded, Trevor Manzi (Beverly, Mass.) grounded into a fielder's choice, scoring Grant Bolin (Simsbury, Conn.) from third to make a two-run Hawk advantage.
Those two runs appeared to be all that RWU southpaw PJ Gouthro (Walpole, Mass.) would need, as he held the Lyon offense in check over the first six innings. After Hal Landers (Salem, N.H.) drew a leadoff walk in the top of the first, Gouthro retired the next ten batters in a row before Paul Malaguti (Andover, Mass.) singled to center in the fourth with one out. Gouthro would strike out the next two Lyons to leave Malaguti stranded at first.
In the bottom of the fourth, Roger Williams added one more on the board after Matt Swensen (Charlton, Mass.) singled in Rob Zarthar (Dedham, Mass.), who reached on a one-out double to left field.
After Malaguti's single in the fourth, Gouthro went back to work and set down the next eight batters in order. Yet Wheaton's offense came around in the top of the seventh, with Malaguti and Dan Haugh (Andover, Mass.) leading off the frame with back-to-back singles. After a high pop-up to second, Jeff Lieneck (Foxboro, Mass.) brought in Malaguti with a single down the right field line, followed by Eric Jensen (Gorham, N.H.) launching a game-tying two-run double to left.
In the following inning, Malaguti notched his third straight hit, this time, a solo home run to deep right field that put the Lyons on top 4-3 and ended the day for Gouthro. In the bottom of the ninth, Jon Shepard (Salisbury, Mass.) came in a set the Hawks down in order for his fifth save of the year and completing the Lyon comeback.
Kevin Calabro (Andover, Mass.) earned the win in a four-inning scoreless relief effort of Frank Holbrook (Middletown, R.I.), who allowed all three Hawk runs in the first four innings. Malaguti ended the day 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Gouthro picked up the loss, tagged for four runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work. Greg Sousa (Billerica, Mass.) and Billy Dunn (Fiskdale, Mass.) came on in relief and combined for 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Bolin and Oppenhimer each finished the game with two hits and a run scored for RWU.
Wheaton (32-8) closes out the regular season Saturday with a noon doubleheader against Suffolk University, while Roger Williams ends the 2010 campaign with a record of 12-25.
