Baseball Eliminated by Wheaton in New London Regional
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wheaton (Mass.) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 1 |
|
Mitchell | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
|
Wheaton (Mass.) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 5 | 9 | 0 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College baseball team saw their season come to an end in the championship round of the NCAA Baseball Championship New London Regional, falling twice on Monday to top-seeded and No. 8/9 Wheaton College, 6-5 in the opener and 5-3 in the deciding final game.
The Mariners conclude their season 33-10 overall, one-win shy of matching the program record, while the Lyons improve to 41-7 and advance to face Johns Hopkins University in the Super Regionals.
After defeating Tufts University on Friday and Wheaton on Sunday, third-seeded Mitchell entered Monday needing just one victory over the Lyons in the four team double-elimination tournament to win the first ever Regional in school history. Instead, the Mariners season will come to a close, as outgoing head coach Travis Beausoleil led his ball club to the program's ninth conference title, eighth NCAA tournament appearance, and set a record for most games won in a Regional.
Game 1 – Wheaton 6, Mitchell 5
After a quiet day at the plate on Sunday, the Lyons wasted no time jumping ahead in the opener, tagging Mitchell starter Chris Gibbs (New Britain, Conn.) for three runs in the top of the first inning. After AJ Guindon and Mike Maher led off with back to back singles, sophomore Kevin Matoes laced a two-run double to right field and senior Rob Wirtanen followed with a run scoring single to make it a 3-0 game.
The Mariners answered in the bottom of the first and trimmed the deficit to one run when Angel Galindez (Carolina, PR) was hit by a pitch, Bo Yaworski (Brooklyn, Conn.) doubled, and Dougie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.) drove them both home with an RBI single to centerfield.
Wheaton added to their advantage in the top of the second on a two-out run scroing single by Mike Maher, but the back and forth battle continued in the bottom of the frame. Thai-ler Sestokas (Danbury, Conn.) led off with a single and was bunted over by Robbie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.). Sestokas then advanced to third on a groundout by Galindez, and once again Yaworksi came up big, slapping an RBI single into left field under the diving glove of Nick Croteau.
Wheaton landed runners on the second and third in the top of the third, but senior Kenny Heon (Uncasville, Conn.), who came on in relief of Gibbs, got Timmy Wager to strike out swinging to end the threat.
The Mariners then tied the game in the bottom of the inning when sophomore Matthew Blackwell (Ansonia, Conn.) drove home senior Matt Falk (Enfield, Conn.) with a line drive single to right field, and runners were able to advance to second and third on a throwing error. Wheaton reliever Josh Fischer proceeded to strike out Sestokas and Robbie DelaCruz, as the Mariners stranded runners to end the inning.
Again the Mitchell offense threatened in the fourth, as Yaworski collected his third hit of the game and Falk tallied a two out single, but Fischer induced a ground out by Lelo Martinez (New London, Conn.) to escape trouble.
Shortly thereafter, Mitchell again found themselves in a hole after Wheaton's Cavan Brady belted a two-run home run over the left field fence, giving the senior 76 RBI on the season, a figure which is tops in the nation at the Division III level.
The bottom of the fifth found the Mariners clawing back when Owen Robbins (East Lyme, Conn.) led off the fifth with a single, Blackwell was hit by a pitch, and Sestokas drove home Robbins with a single to left field. Following a Wheaton pitching change from Fischer to Joe Mulhern, Robbie DelaCruz reached on the fielder's choice, setting the home squad up with a first and third situation and only one out. Galindez then walked to load the bases for Yaworski, who flew out to centerfield, ending a streak of six at bats in which he went 6-6 with four doubles and six RBI. This brought NECC Player of the Year Dougie DelaCruz to the plate with the bases full of Mariners, and Mulhern got the senior to line out to right field, stranding all three baserunners.
The Mariners again stranded the tying run at third in the bottom of the sixth after Owen Robbins hit a two-run triple, but Blackwell grounded out to shortstop, stranding the junior at the bag.
Following a scary situation where Kenny Heon was forced out of the game due to a comebacker on the mound, Mitchell turned the ball over to senior Kevin Vining (Wallingford, Conn.), who escaped a two on-two out situation by getting Wirtanen to strike out swinging. Vining, who entered the game with one an inning and two third under his belt, tamed the Wheaton bats for the next two innings, and the score remained 6-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Down to their final outs and facing Wheaton closer Zach Nichols, Lelo Martinez struck out swinging to lead off the inning before Owen Robbins ripped a one out single to right-center. Matthew Blackwell then grounded into a double play to end the game, setting up a deciding seventh game in the New London Regional.
Josh Fischer, who came out of the bullpen and allowed one run in two innings, picked up his fifth victory of the season, powering a Wheaton relief staff that worked seven innings of one-run ball. Mitchell relief pitcher Kenny Heon was charged with the loss.
Robbins and Yaworski paced the Mitchell offense, racking up three hits apiece, while Dougie DelaCruz drove in a team-high two runs.
The Lyons pounded out 15 hits, with Kevin Matos and Mike Maher recording three each. Tommy Beauregard, Nick Croteu, and Cavan Brady each had a pair of hits in the win.
Game 2 – Wheaton 5, Mitchell 3
The decisive final game of the New England Regional saw the Mariners jump on top in the opening frame when Matt Falk hit into a fielder's choice, scoring Angel Galindez who led off the inning with an infield hit.
Wheaton responded in the bottom of the first, plating one run to make it 1-1 after Mike Maher singled, starting pitcher Camren Varney (Manchester, N.H.) hit Cavan Brady, and Kevin Matos singled in a run on a hit to right field. After both starting pitchers worked a scoreless frame in the second, Yaworski got on base with his eighth base hit of the weekend, but moments later he was picked off and tagged out in a rundown with Dougie DelaCruz at the plate.
Mike Maher worked a one out walk in the bottom of the third and the Lyons immediately made Varney pay when Nick Croteau laced an RBI double to left-center, scoring Maher to give Wheaton a 2-1 edge. Back to back wild pitches by Varney allowed Croteau to advance from second to third and then come home, making it a two-run ballgame heading into the fourth inning.
The Wheaton lead did not last long, however, as Lelo Martinez delivered a two-out single through the left side before Owen Robbins took the 2-1 pitch from Benjamin Oliveira and launched a two-run home run over the left-center fence, his third of the season and the first long ball for the Mariners in the Regional.
The Mariners managed to load the bases on three walks in the top of the sixth inning, but stranded all three after Wheaton ace Ryan McCarroll struck out Sestokas swinging. McCarroll, who was the winning pitcher for the Lyons in their game Friday against Husson University, was in the game making his first relief appearance of the season.
The Lyons leapt back on top in bottom half of the sixth when the left handed hitting Kevin Matos turned on an inside fastball from Tyler Daly (Wallingford, Conn.) and sent it soaring over the right field fence for his team-leading 12th homer of the season.
Justin Adorno (New Britain, Conn.) led off the top of the seventh with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Galindez. Adorno was then thrown out trying to steal third and Bo Yaworski flew out to centerfield, ending the frame with the Mariners still trailing the Lyons by one run.
Facing Mitchell reliever Tyler Daly, Guindon led off the bottom half of the inning with an infield single, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a sacrifice fly. NEWMAC Baseball Athlete of the Year Cavin Brady then delivered a base hit to centerfield, pushing the Wheaton advantage to two runs as the game turned to the eighth.
From there McCarroll was locked in, retiring the Mariners in order in the eighth before Zach Nichols closed the door in the ninth striking out the side to record his seventh save of the season and ending the Mitchell season.
After recording two wins in the first three games of the Regional, Tyler Daly was charged with the loss, surrendering two runs and five hits across four and one thing innings of work. Ryan McCarroll recorded the victory for Wheaton, working two and a third scoreless innings to improve his record to 10-1.
Owen Robbins finished the game 1-3 with a two run home run, a walk, and a run scored. Matt Falk finished with one RBI, his 60th of the season, good for most all time in a single season in program history.
Kevin Matos paced the Lyons with a 2-4 performance at the plate, including a go-ahead solo home run and one run scored.
