Box Score
Box Score
MANSFIELD, Conn. – Never count out the Western New England baseball team.
With their backs to the wall for the fourth straight game, the Golden Bears defeated Wheaton 6-4 Saturday afternoon (May 19) to advance to the title game of the NCAA Division III New England Regional Baseball Championship.
No. 21 Western New England (the fifth seed in the tournament) and No. 9 Wheaton (the top seed) will meet at noon Sunday (May 20) at Eastern Stadium with the winner advancing to the Division III World Series in Appleton, Wisconsin next week.
Western New England had momentum after posting a thrilling 2-1 victory over Trinity in the first game Saturday and it continued against the Lyons.
With several players coming through with clutch performances, the Golden Bears advanced to the regional final for the second straight year and handed Wheaton its first tournament loss in four outings.
Senior reliever
Mike Lawlor (Windsor, CT) pitched the last five innings (his longest outing of the season) allowing no hits and runs while walking one and striking out three. He is now 5-2 on the season.
Junior third baseman
Mike Rubino (Northford, CT) has only four hits in the tournament, but his two-out, two-run single capped a five-run second inning and gave the Golden Bears a big enough cushion to withstand a Wheaton comeback attempt. Rubino also made a couple of terrific defensive plays.
Junior center fielder
Jeff Schult (Wappingers Falls, NY) didn't get any hits and was caught stealing for only the second time in 36 attempts this season after getting hit by a pitch to lead off the game. However, Schult robbed junior shortstop
Eric Jensen (Gorham, ME) of a hit by making a diving catch on a sinking liner with a runner on second to end the sixth inning.
Junior second baseman
Tim Clark (West Springfield, MA) and junior right fielder
Matt Anthonis (Guilford, CT) each collected two hits while senior designated hitter
Mike Taylor (Andover, MA) belted a long homer over the 375-foot sign in right center for an important insurance run in the ninth.
Wheaton scored twice in the second and got within a run with two more runs in the fourth on a RBI ground out by senior centerfielder
Hal Landers (Salem, NH) and single by Jensen.
That ended the stint of junior
Kevin Jefferis (Cheshire, CT) who got some big outs despite giving up seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Freshman first baseman
Apolinar De la Cruz (Providence, RI) had two hits for the Lyons.
Sophomore
Mike McGinnis (Mashpee, MA) suffered his first loss in five decisions. He gave up five runs on seven hits and had a walk and strikeout.
Inside the Infield - Wheaton had beaten Western New England three straight times this spring entering today's contest … Coach Matt LaBranche's team is 5-1 in regional play having won four straight elimination contests in 24 hours … On Friday, the Golden Bears defeated Bowdoin (7-1) and No. 11 St. Joseph's (ME) (4-0) … Western New England captured three consecutive elimination games to win its fifth Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) crown earlier this month … Clark (.417), Anthonis (.391), and Ambrosino (.304) have combined for 26 hits and 13 runs in regional action.
Contact: Ken Cerino, Western New England athletic communications director (413) 782-1227
kcerino@wne.edu
