AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Roger Williams University Baseball team closed out their Spring Break slate on Saturday morning, defeating Wheaton, 8-7, in non-conference action at the RussMatt Invitational at Lake Myrtle Field on Saturday.
The Hawks tallied eight hits, while Wheaton had 12 in the contest, with the Hawks committing three errors. Roger Williams hit a pair of three-run blasts in the contest, with four total base hits, while keeping Wheaton to four doubles and eight singles.
After Louie Mosca (Old Tappan, N.J.) shut down the Lyon offense in the top half of the first inning, the Hawks were able to strike. With two outs, Jack Tubman (Bellingham, Mass.) started the rally, hitting a single to short, before Will Florio (San Jose, Calif.) followed with a single through the left side of the infield in his ensuing at bat. With runners on first and second, Sam Arcieri (Westwood, N.J.) hit a single to left center, taking a 1-0 lead, before Braden Ventura (Swansea, Mass.) hit a three-run shot over the left field wall, the first of his collegiate career, to take a 4-0 lead.
The Lyons were able to strike for the first time in the top of the third inning, with Robbie Lamond reaching on a single. After advancing after a failed pickoff attempt by Mosca to stand at second, Lamond came home after Declan Lush doubled to left center field. Wheaton added another pair in the fourth inning, with Wyatt Soucie knocking a single to third base on a bunt, Ty Bellan followed with a sacrifice fly to left field, bringing in Ray Toth from third.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Wheaton took their first lead of the game. With runners on first and second, Soucie dropped a sacrifice bunt that was thrown off target. Allowing Logan Downey to come in from second base. After Bellan drew a walk to load the bases, Marcus Rodrigues hit a fielder's choice to short, allowing Toth to come in to score. The Hawks answered in the same inning with Rory Lynch (Easton, Conn.) knocking a single through the left side of the infield, bringing in Arcieri from second, leveling the game at 5-5 after the sixth.
In the bottom half of the seventh inning, the Hawks saw three runs come across the dish, after an Arcieri home run to right field to take an 8-5 advantage. The Lyons tallied two more runs in the eighth after Rodrigues hit a single up the middle, bringing in a pair, but the Hawks were able to hold on for the win, shutting down the Lyons in the ninth.
Mosca pitched 4.0 innings to start for the Hawks, with three earned runs, off seven hits and five strikeouts. Casey DeLorenzo (East Greenwich, R.I.) earned the win, throwing the final 5.0 innings, with three earned runs, and 10 strikeouts while allowing five hits with two walks.
Wheaton's Jack Cali took the loss, throwing 1.0 innings, giving up three earned. Arcieri paced the Hawks with three hits, including his three-run blast with four RBIs. Tubman went 2-for-3 with a walk, while Ventura took advantage with his blast, bringing in three to score.
Roger Williams (5-4, 0-0 CNE) is scheduled to travel to Northborough, Mass., on Tuesday, Mar. 17, to face WPI at the New England Baseball Complex, before hosting Tufts on Thursday, Mar. 19, at 3:00 pm.
