Wheaton 7, WPI 4

Box Score

Worcester, MA --- Designated hitter Sean Munley (Trenton, NJ) was 4-for-5 with three RBI to help lift nationally-ranked Wheaton to a 7-4 victory over host WPI in NEWMAC conference baseball action on Thursday afternoon.  The Lyons, ranked 21st in the latest D3baseball.com Top 25, improves to 16-4 and 5-0 in conference play while WPI falls to 10-11 overall and 2-3 in NEWMAC action. 

After WPI had rallied from an early 4-0 deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth, Munley stroked an RBI double down the right field line in the top of the seventh to score Scott Guillerault (South Portland, ME) to give the Lyons a 5-4 advantage.  He helped provide insurance in the ninth inning when he smashed another run-producing double to plate Guillerault.  Munley's three doubles on the day fell one two-bagger short of current Oakland Athletics outfielder Chris Denorfia's school-record four set in 1999. 

Wheaton jumped out early, parlaying four hits and a pair of WPI errors into four runs in the top of the first inning.  Munley got it started with a run-scoring single while Nick Pecora (Highland Park, NJ) capped the rally with the first of his two doubles on the day. 

WPI would not go away quietly.  The Engineers began the second inning with three straight singles. After a pair strikeouts from Wheaton starter Nick Kostaras (North Attleboro, MA), Scott MacDonald (Gorham, ME) delivered with a two-run double down the left field line to score Scott McNee (Falmouth, MA) and Mike Swanton (Foxboro, MA).  The Crimson and Gray would eventually tie the game with an unearned run in the fifth and a bases loaded walk by Bryan Watkins (Belmont, MA) in the sixth. 

Keith Pescosolido (Newton, MA) picked up the win in relief for Wheaton.  The senior did not allow a run over 2 1/3 innings to improve to 2-0.  Josh Simmons (Cranston, RI) got the final four outs to record his NEWMAC-leading fourth save.  Conor Fahey (Cumberland, RI) took the loss for WPI to drop to 5-1.  The junior ace went seven innings, allowing just three earned runs while striking out four. 

WPI is back in action on Saturday, hosting Babson in a key NEWMAC twinbill.  First pitch is slated for noon.  Wheaton travels to Roger Williams Friday afternoon for a non-conference tilt.