Box Score Box Score


The Lyons (36-8) will meet either Trinity at 4:30 p.m. Friday (May 18).

The Golden Bears will play Bowdoin (who defeated Southern Maine 6-4 earlier in the day) at 10:00 a.m. Friday with the winner playing again at 7:45 p.m.

Palioca (8-0) kept his perfect season intact after allowing six hits and two runs while walking four and striking out one batter. This was the second time Palioca defeated WNE this season. He gave up six hits with a walk and five strikeouts in eight-and-a-third innings in a 2-0 win over the Golden Bears April 7 in Springfield.

Wheaton scored three runs in the first inning off freshman Trevor Breton (Enfield, CT) on a sacrifice fly by senior third baseman Dan Haugh (Andover, MA) and two-run double by junior catcher Dan Gusovsky (Andover, MA).

Breton retired the side on four pitches in the second, but gave up another run in the third before being lifted after allowing a lead-off single in the fourth. He gave up six hits and four hits with a walk and strikeout in losing for only the second time in 10 decisions.

The Lyons took a 5-0 lead in the fifth off junior reliever Mike Lospinuso (West Islip, NY) following a RBI single by freshman first baseman Apolinar De la Cruz (Providence, RI). De la Cruz also walked twice and finished with two runs-batted-in.

Western New England loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning before Palioca got out of the jam by allowing just one run on a single by junior third baseman Mike Rubino (Northford, CT).

The Lyons scored twice in the eighth for a 7-1 advantage before the Golden Bears answered with a pair of runs in their half of the inning.

Rubino walked to lead-off the frame and came home on a triple by junior second baseman Tim Clark (West Springfield, MA) off freshman reliever Ben Johnson (Cambridge, MA). Junior left fielder Taylor Perun (Plainville, CT) knocked in Rubino with a groundout, but that was it as Johnson retired the next two batters and pitched a perfect ninth inning.

Wheaton tacked on three runs in the ninth with two runs scoring on a single by Haugh and another on a single by Gusovsky as both players finished with three RBI.

Ryan, meanwhile, scored three runs and had three of the Lyons' five stolen bases in the game.

Junior shortstop Eric Jensen (Gorham, ME) walked, singled twice, and scored twice.

WNE sophomore centerfielder Jeff Schult (Wappingers Falls, NY) singled twice and stole his 30th base of the season. Freshman first baseman Steve Ambrosino (Laurel Hollow, NY) also contributed a pair of hits and made a couple of nice plays in the field.

Contact: Ken Cerino, Western New England athletic communications director (413) 782-1227
kcerino@wne.edu