Box Score Box Score

Liam Shea

Travis Schwamb

NORTON, Mass. - Senior Zach Cloft (Glastonbury, CT) picked-up his sixth win of the season and junior Mike Lawlor (Windsor, CT) earned his fifth save as the Western New England baseball team posted a 7-4 victory over No. 21 Wheaton Monday (Apr. 25) at Sidell Stadium.

Sophomore shortstop Kyle McKelvey (Schenectady, NY) and sophomore second baseman Mike Rubino (Northford, CT) each collected three hits for the Golden Bears who raised their record to 28-8 after winning their fourth consecutive game. Western New England is ranked fifth in the region.
 
Wheaton, ranked second regionally, fell to 25-8 after having its six-game win streak ended while losing at home for only the second time in 17 games this spring.

Western New England, who beat Westfield State 7-4 in its previous outing last Thursday, opened the scoring with four runs in the fifth inning. Sophomore right-fielder Casey Dadio (Branford, CT) knocked in the first run with a single that was followed by Rubino's two -run single. Senior catcher Jason Leclerc (Chicopee, MA) later added a sacrifice fly.

Leclerc had another sacrifice fly in the seventh to give the Golden Bears a 5-0 advantage.

Wheaton pushed across three runs in the bottom of the seventh when sophomore left-fielder Paul O'Neill (Framingham, MA) led off with a homer to left. Senior second baseman Tad Skelley (Wolfeboro, NH) had a RBI double and sophomore shortstop Eric Jensen (Gorham, NH) had an infield hit that drove in the third run.

The Golden Bears added two important insurance runs in the eighth when McKelvey led-off with a double and came home on a single by sophomore second baseman Tim Clark (West Springfield, MA) who later scored on an error.

The Lyons tallied their final run on a sacrifice fly by junior center-fielder Hal Landers (Salem, NH) in the eighth.

Cloft, meanwhile, had an effective showing allowing eight hits and three runs in six innings with just one walk and five strikeouts. Lawlor got the final five outs giving up just a hit to preserve the win.

Dadio and senior designated hitter Tony Trubia (Tolland, CT) each contributed two hits to support the 14-hit attack. Clark and McKelvey each scored two runs.

The Lyons finished with 13 hits as junior right-fielder John Keating (Duxbury, MA) had a 3-for-4 performance with a double, run scored and RBI.

Junior Nolan Corr (Somersworth, NH) saw his record drop to 6-2 after permitting eight hits in four-and-a-third innings. He struck out one and didn't walk a batter.